How Time Has Past
by TheFreshApple
Summary: COMPLETE. A dark secret, a haunting past: Danny Messer is hiding something. It's Lindsay's job to figure out what. DL goodness, along with some thrown in stuff from my own imagination. Includes my OC, Allie O'Brien.
1. For Gang and Glory

**TITLE:** How Time Has Past.

**SUMMARY: **Danny Messer had a past… that could decide the fate of his future.

**SPOILERS:** Not any that I can think of.

**DISCLAIMER:** CBS characters belong to CBS… however, we are working with FICTION, and so a lot of this came from my tortured imagination.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is, in so many words, my story of what happened in Danny's past, concerning Tanglewood and Louie, and Sonny… and some other fictional characters that generally just make life interesting. Also, gives a new look on Danny and Lindsay's relationship. Post _Love Run Cold_…ish.

**RATING:** It will be M, so hang on to your hats.

---

_Summer of '91_

_The gunshots rang out, one right after the other. Somewhere, a woman cried out in the night for redemption. Huddled amongst the mass confusion, two teenagers clung to each other in fear: fear for their families, fear for their lives, and fear for each other. It seemed that all the world was, was fear. Softly, he smoothed the hair back from her forehead, trying to read the message in her hazel eyes. "I love you," he whispered._

"_I love you too, Danny," came the soft reply._

**:One year previously:**

"Swing, batta batta, swing!" The hot August air beat down on the baseball game taking place in the abandoned lot somewhere in New York City. Danny Messer wiped the sweat from his brow, ignoring the looks of pure venom coming from the opposing team. He had an excellent record of bringing up the unexpected, and that was exactly what he planned to do. Bottom of the ninth, two runners on base, scores tied, Danny knew exactly what was at stake. And it was grinning out at him from the sidelines, judging his every move.

"This one's for you, Lou," Danny whispered to no one in particular, feeling his brother's eyes on his back.

The ball came fast and furious, impossible for anyone except for a high school baseball star to take a swing at. Danny could feel his muscles strain as wood and leather connected, and he grunted with pride as the ball flew away from him, heading for the high fence on the far side of the lot. He calmly dropped the bat, smirking cockily at the catcher's dumbfounded expression. "And that, Vinnie, is how you hit a fastball." Danny took off in a fast run, drinking in the sounds of his brother's praise.

"Attaboy, Dan, show 'em what it means to be a Messer!" Louie pounded his friend and comrade, Mikey O'Brien, soundly on the back, pointing as his little brother rounded the bases and came in smoothly for a home run. "Ha, didja see that? The other team never even tried!" He beamed as Danny walked to where he was, the young man breathing heavily at the combined effects of heat and adrenaline. "Good job, Danny! Way to go!"

Mikey watched the brothers high- five, with a mirthful eye. "Great job, Danny. I wish Allie coulda seen that," he teased, noticing how red the younger man's face got. Louie chuckled at Mikey's remark. "Aw, Mike, leave him alone. He's got enough problems with women on his plate without your sister being a distraction. Right, Danny?" Louie ruffled his younger brother's hair affectionately, ignoring the grumbles of protest. "Besides," Louie began walking out of the lot, smiling and nodding as he went, "Danny's gotta go back to school. He's gonna be a famous ball player, get a scholarship and everything."

Danny nodded, feeling calm enough to join in on the conversation. "Yeah, Mike. I'm planning on working until baseball season, and then just blowing them out of their seats. Who knows, they may sign me to the majors before the end of senior year." He broke out grinning as Louie and Mikey stared at him. "What? You think I'm serious? C'mon."

The three boys broke into laughter at the same time, all talking at once: about the game, about school, about life in general. The sun shone down and Danny was starting to get hopeful until a freckled-faced kid with dark hair ran up to Louie and handed him a piece of paper with one word on it: _Pelham_.

All three stared at the word with intensity, as though afraid it would jump off the scrap of paper and bite them. Slowly, Louie took a deep breath, avoiding Danny's eyes. "Mike, take Danny to Costello's for a drink. I'll meet up with youse guys lata."

"Shit, Louie, don't go again. Let Sonny handle his own messes." Mikey shook his head in a warning. _Don't leave your own brother hangin' over a fight._

"Shut up, I'll be back soon. Hey, good job, kid." Louie punched Danny lightly in the shoulder and walked away quickly, not once looking back. Danny stared as his brother walked away, flinching as Mikey gently took the bat from his hands. "Hey, let's go. You know Louie: Save Tanglewood, save the family. Let's go get that drink," Mikey's voice was reassuring, but Danny read the look of worry in his eyes. The nod of consent wasn't completely freely given, Mike noticed, as he and the younger Messer made their way through the streets of the neighborhood they had roamed since diapers. Mikey did his best to make Danny feel better, but he never missed the anger and sadness, even when Danny was laughing at the greeting they received coming into the bar. Mikey waved over a waitress, put in an order, and pulled Danny over to a corner table.

"Seriously, Dan, that was a terrific game. Baseball really is your thing, you know?" Mikey tried to engage a conversation, but Danny wouldn't give in. He turned and fixed Mikey with clear blue eyes, a gaze made even more severe by the glasses Danny wore.

"I don't fuckin' get it, Mike. You're in Tanglewood, and you never leave Allie hangin'. I've never known her to have to make last minute plans because you were out doing 'business'," Danny's anger was made apparent by his sarcasm. He smiled politely at the waitress as she set down their drinks, but his face stayed stern, "and I know that you don't leave family suddenly for Tanglewood affairs. Where the hell does he get off doing somethin' like that? It seems like every time we're getting close, Louie just pushes me away. It's like I'm not good enough, or somethin'. Pisses me off," Danny muttered into his drink.

"Hey, it's nothin' like that. I promise. I don't just leave suddenly because I'm not that important. Louie is tryin' to get on Sonny's good side, so he can get out. It's temporary, I swear. And you think Allie doesn't hate it as much as you? Come on, Danny; use that brain of yours she's always braggin' about. Allie can't wait until I get out." He motioned Danny nearer, lowering his voice as though telling a huge secret. "You know, I think she hates your brother for getting' me in with the Tanglewood Boys. I love him for it, I feel like I belong." Mikey shrugged, taking another swig of his beer. "But then again, I'm not nearly as pretty or popular as my sister."

Danny laughed, but quickly sobered. "That's all I want: to belong. Maybe if I—"

"No." The sudden interruption caused Danny to look up in alarm. Mikey's eyes were sparking, and his hands were clenched into fists. "You're not joinin'. Louie won't let you, first off, and Allie would kill me if I didn't talk you out of it. It's out of the question." He took a deep breath. "You wouldn't make it in Tanglewood, Dan. You're meant for more than women, drugs, and violence. Put that good arm and mind to work, eh kid?" Mikey winked jovially at the younger man and buried his nose in his beer. Danny could tell the conversation was over, and he didn't press the matter.

The friends finished their drinks, and Mikey paid as they left an hour earlier than usual. When Danny objected, Mikey fixed him with a stern eye, reminding him, "You got school startin' tomorrow. Gotta get at least five hours of sleep, man."

It wasn't until he heard his brother come in that Danny realized Louie had never meant to show up at all. He was out doing something that he obviously didn't want Danny to see. This thought made the younger Messer roll over in frustration. _I'm almost eighteen, Louie. What could you possibly be doin' that I can't handle?_

A knock on his window made Danny sit up with a start. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes once and stared in uncertainty at the sight outside. Confusion gave way to happiness when he saw who it was. Danny climbed out of bed, not bothering to put on his shirt. He knew she wouldn't mind. He kicked some various articles of clothing under his bed, opening the window as he did so.

"Hey," he whispered, anxious not to awaken his parents, "What are you doin' here?"

"I heard about Louie and I thought you could use a friend."


	2. She's Not A CSI For Nothing

**Author's Note:** Okay, this takes place in the future… We see a little glimpse of what is to come… feedback is loved and appreciated.

---

"Who was she?" Lindsay Monroe softly rested her hand on her colleague's shoulder, tilting her head slightly to view better the headstone before him. Danny Messer stood quickly, replacing his glasses to where they sat on the bridge of his nose. "What?" His blue eyes were surprised, and Lindsay realized she had caught him in the middle of something.

"Oh, Danny, I'm sorry. I didn't realize… Well, I saw you walking over here, and I followed you," Lindsay's cheeks turned red with embarrassment and Danny smiled faintly. "S'ok Montana, it wasn't anythin' important. Just admiring the gravestone." He motioned to the body they had recently finished processing. "We done here?"

Lindsay nodded, peeling off her latex gloves. "Yeah, I was just headed back to the truck. You want to drive?" She picked up her kit and dusted some dirt off her pants. Some people just had no respect for the dead. Their vic had been visiting a dead loved one when some bastard had shot him in the back. _Can't wait to solve this one and bust this guy,_ Lindsay thought wryly to herself.

Still staring at the headstone, Danny motioned with his hand towards their vehicle. "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

"Gonna admire some more gravestones?" Lindsay's voice was teasing, but her eyes searched his face for some kind of sorrow or pain. Finding none, she rolled her eyes when he crooked a cocky smile at her and replied, "Maybe."

Taking a deep sigh, Danny Messer watched his partner walk towards the precinct truck the two of them had arrived in. His eyes lingered on her hips longer than necessary, and he mentally slapped himself when he realized what he was doing. "Sorry, Al," he whispered, turning back to the grave. "I know how you used to say a workin' woman never had time for love. Maybe I should just concentrate on my job, ya know?" He smirked and pressed a kiss to his fingers, then brushing the same hand against the name on the stone. "See ya next month, doll." Sighing, Danny pushed his glasses up his nose with a knuckle and picked up his kit, following Lindsay back to the car. It was going to be a long day.

---

"Stel, you got a minute?" Lindsay raced to catch up with the older woman, who seemed to be in full kick-ass mode. Stella Bonasera's eyes never left the file she was holding, but her body language told Lindsay that she was all ears. "Sure, kiddo. What's on your mind? Case stuff, or personal?" Stella jerked her head sideways, motioning in the direction of her office. "We can talk in here. I haven't had a chance to sit all day."

The two women each breathed a sigh of relief upon sinking into leather chairs, both rubbing her aching joints respectively. Stella threw the case file on her desk, diverting her full attention to the younger woman in front of her. "Okay, now that we've got comfort down, what's on your mind?"

Lindsay leaned forward in her chair, brown eyes worried. "Have you ever heard of a woman named Allison O'Brien? I came across Danny kneeling at a grave today with her name on the headstone."

Stella frowned for a moment, thinking. Suddenly, her face brightened and she nodded. "Yeah, actually. As a matter of fact, it was Danny who told me about her. You be surprised what secrets he lets loose when drunk." Stella noticed the look of surprise on her colleague's face and nodded. "Oh yeah, Danny knew her. I think they met each other back when he was in high school. He didn't say a lot about her, just that she never forgave Louie for Mikey, whoever that is."

"Louie? As in, Louie Messer? Danny's brother?" If Lindsay was confused, she showed it perfectly. It didn't make any sense. First, Danny denies that the grave was important to him, and then he says the woman in the grave knew his brother. "Danny had to know her more than for it to be just a high school thing. She knew his brother for God's sake," Lindsay whispered under her breath. She looked up to see Stella watching her intently.

"Who's Mikey?" Lindsay wondered aloud, hoping Stella could answer the question for her. But the older woman shrugged and looked perplexed. "I don't know. Danny never mentioned him after that one night." Both women were silent as they mulled over information in their minds.

A sharp ring cut through the air, startling Lindsay and Stella alike. Stella reached down for her phone, smiling apologetically at her friend. "Bonasera." Her answer, as always was crisp and professional, never giving too much away. She listened for a moment before speaking again. "Sure, Mac. I'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail." She listened again, smiling. "Yeah, well, if you ever said that, I'd think something was severely wrong and probably never speak to you again." She laughed, a clear sound, before hanging up her phone and shaking her head to Lindsay. "I tell ya, men are hopeless. Sorry I couldn't be more help, but I gotta go." She offered a sympathetic smile. "If you find out anything, let me know, okay?"

Lindsay nodded, rising as well. "Yeah, I gotta go to Trace anyway. But if I get a second, I think I might run this O'Brien woman, see what I get."

---

"_It's not your fault, Danny. Louie's in over his head is all. He'll come out of it, he always does." _

"_Yeah, but I can't help but thinking somethin' bad could happen to him if I'm not there." _

"_Danny, somethin' bad could happen to **you** if you **are** there."_

"Oh, God, Allie. Why couldn't you have told me that sooner?" Danny sat in his dark apartment, staring at a blank television screen. His mind wouldn't stop torturing him with the memories, memories he wanted to forget to but needed to keep. To prevent it from ever happening again. He sighed, rubbing his face. "I gotta go ta bed," he whispered to no one in particular, rising from the couch and heading for his bedroom. He stripped off his tank top as he went, scratching the back of his neck. "Note to self: call Flack tomorrow and go to a bar to drink ourselves silly." Lack of sleep was making him grumpy; lack of sex was making it worse and an abundance of bad recollections wasn't helping.

That's when the door decided to pretend it was about to be knocked down. Danny skidded into his hallway, startled and carrying his gun. The pounding on the door increased in volume until Danny realized that either someone was trying to break down his door or it was urgent. He placed his gun on the hall table and gingerly looked through the peek hole.

Lindsay Monroe was staring him back in the face, anxious and in a hurry. "Danny, open up, I know you're in there!" Her stage whisper dripped with worry and he sighed again. "Damn," he mumbled as he undid the bolt and slid the chain back. Opening the door a crack, Danny pretended to be annoyed.

"Montana, do you have any idea what time it is? I was asleep."

She rolled her eyes, digging in her bag. "Please, Messer, I'm allergic to bullshit. You weren't even close to sleep. By the looks of things, you were getting ready for bed." _Focus on the task at hand, not his chest, moron._ Lindsay blinked her eyes once, determined to rid her mind of any impure thoughts.

Danny yawned, suddenly exhausted. "Okay, so you caught me. But I'm tired now, so can I go to b—" He stopped as a piece of paper was thrust into his face, Lindsay's steady hand holding it there. He felt his heart stop and his hands go clammy as he read the heading of the article on the paper in front of him.

**GIRL SHOT AT BELIEVED LOCATION OF TERRITORY WAR**

"Now, I'm going to ask you again. Who was she?" Lindsay's eyes didn't lie, and her tone didn't either. She wanted answers, damnit. Danny's blue gaze shot from her brown one to the document and back again. His hands were shaking and he got the impression that the room was spinning when in reality he knew it was really his past, hurtling out of the darkness to come back and bite him in the ass. Perfect.

"Come in," he said flatly, eyes still stuck to the paper in front of him. "It's not a short story to tell."


	3. It's The Friends That Matter

**Author's Note:** Okay, this is where things get a little screwy, so hold on to your hats… The sequence of events is present-past-present… If confused, let me know.

---

Lindsay surveyed Danny's apartment after somewhat forcing her way through the door. It was completely dark, as was normal for this time of night, but something didn't sit right with her. Using every amount of CSI knowledge she had, she scanned the room again. There, on the coffee table: three empty beer cans, lined up like prisoners on their way to an execution. She swung around slowly to give Danny an _Are you kidding me? _look that made him grin sheepishly. "I wasn't expectin' company, c'mon." He motioned towards the kitchen, pulling her with him when he saw Lindsay was still surveying his home. "Geez, Montana, give me a break. I'm a bachelor, remember?"

Lindsay shook her head, shucking off her coat as she followed her partner into his spotless kitchen. "Yeah, but the rest of your place is immaculate, except for the living room." She took a double take at his face and Danny groaned inwardly. _Yeah, I had to work with observant people._ "Danny, when was the last time you actually slept in a real bed?"

Danny snorted and grabbed two bottles of water from his fridge. "'Matter of fact, I was gonna re-inhabit my bedroom this evenin', until you decided to invade my home." He handed her the water, standing so close that his chest nearly brushed hers. He didn't miss the look she gave him as he took a swig of the cool water, closing his eyes as he swallowed. He wiped his mouth with his arm and grinned crookedly. "Thanks a lot, Monroe."

She rolled her eyes, disguising her nervous heartbeat. "Yeah, you're welcome. Now, about this headline," she picked up the piece of paper where she had placed it on the kitchen table, "The victim was identified as one Allison Julianne O'Brien, Staten Island. Same woman…girl…person whose grave you were kneeling at this morning. You want to fill me in on the details or should I—" Lindsay trailed off as she heard mild swearing coming from the living room. She looked up to discover she was the only one in the kitchen.

"Danny?" Lindsay carefully made her way from one room to the next, keeping an eye out for a pissed off cop. She knew she was pushing buttons: that much was obvious. Lindsay knew she would hate it if someone she barely knew came bursting into her apartment at eleven 'o' clock at night to ask her about a painful memory. Danny hadn't pressed her for information when she couldn't give him a straight answer; why did she feel it necessary to bother him?

"Because you're jealous that maybe, just maybe, he loved her best, and still does."

The little voice inside her head just wouldn't let her be, and Lindsay shook her head, still searching for Danny. "Messer? You jump out at me and I'll shoot you." Lindsay caught the sight of something odd out of the corner of her eye and turned. A door was open and light was pouring from a not- so visible source. "Danny?"

"Yeah, I'm in here." His accent was thick, a characteristic that something was wrong. Lindsay cautiously stepped over the threshold of what looked to be a bedroom. Danny's bedroom, by the looks of it. _Easy, girl_. She peeked around the closet door, the source of light she had spotted earlier. As quickly as she had put her head around the door, the rest of her body followed and her hand clapped to her mouth, poorly hiding a snort of laughter.

Danny Messer sat on the floor of his closet, legs splayed out in front of him. He looked like a four-year-old that had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar; only instead of cookies, there were pictures. And letters. And newspaper clippings. Danny looked up through his glasses at his visitor, a defeated look on his face. "It's all here. Stuff my ma sent me after she died. I didn't even remember I still had it until this mornin' in the graveyard." He sighed and tilted his head back, resting it against the wall hidden by clothes behind him. His eyes shut briefly and all of a sudden he was rushed back seventeen years.

---

"_Hey," he whispered, anxious not to awaken his parents, "What are you doin' here?" _

"_I heard about Louie and I thought you could use a friend." _

Danny smiled at Allie's quick and needed response. He shook his head slowly, pulling her towards him in a hug. She wrapped her arms around him in and squeezed. Craning her head, Allie's hazel eyes sought out Danny's blue ones. "Wow, you must really need some comfort. You haven't hugged me like that since I let you copy my homework for a week straight."

Danny laughed softly, resting his chin on Allie's head. "Yeah, well, you always know just what to say to make me feel better." He pulled away momentarily, studying her face. "Who told you about Louie?"

Allie rolled her eyes and pushed Danny back, so the back of his legs collided with the bed. She cocked her head at him, crossing her arms. Her pretty face was full of annoyance and frustration. "Mikey, who else? He left not five minutes after getting back from Costello's. I swear he went out to help whatever Sonny and Louie were up to." She sighed and turned back to the window. Danny could see her clothing clearly now: she was wearing pajama shorts and his sweatshirt. He smiled wryly; she must have stolen it from him when he wasn't looking. "Is that mine?" He interrupted her silent anger quietly, motioning to the Yankees logo on the front of the sweatshirt.

Allie grinned back at him, nodding. "Yeah. You left it the last time you came over." She pulled out the elastic in her hair, shaking auburn locks around her shoulders. Danny felt a sudden tension deep in his gut, and he gulped. _How did I get caught up with such a babe? Oh yeah, she's the girl next door. Whoops. _

Danny was snapped out of his reverie by a soft blow of fabric on his face. In his dazed state, Allie had removed the sweatshirt and thrown it at him playfully, meaning to surprise and startle him. She grinned cockily at him, mirroring his crooked smile. "Geez, Messer, way to pay attention when someone's talking to you. Keep that up and I might have to hurt you." She walked towards him from the window seductively, hips swinging with every step. He forced his eyes to look away and licked his lips. Allie didn't miss the action and grinned again, this time a predatory edge to her smile. Before he knew what was happening, Danny felt her arms circling his neck and her body press against his.

"W-what did you say? I was distracted." He smirked at her, eyes growing darker with every passing moment their body heat was being shared.

She raised an eyebrow in sarcastic disbelief. "That was the point, stupid." Without further preamble, Allie pressed her lips lightly to his, not quite asking, not quite taking. She was doing exactly what she had planned on doing: distracting him from the frustration brought on by his brother.

But Danny had a new frustration, one a little south of his waistband. Allie was his best friend, confidante, and fellow conspirator when they were younger. Sure, she was definitely his type and it was a running family joke that the two of them should just hurry up and get married, but Danny had never thought she was that interested; especially not with the fact that her own brother had been converted to a thug by his kith and kin. But here she was, kissing him, in his bedroom, both of them only partly dressed. It was more than Danny could stand. He deepened the kiss by snaking his hands to rest lightly behind her head, cradling it so he could better explore. Allie let out a soft sigh, enough to get him even more interested. He ran the tip of his tongue lightly over her bottom lip, asking. She gave in slowly, a tease or hesitation, he couldn't be sure. It was all he needed. His tongue quickly found hers and twined with it, allowing him to explore her mouth further. Allie's hands in turn had wrapped themselves tighter around his neck and it felt to her like she was holding on for dear life. It wasn't until she realized they had moved and it was now her knees pressed against his bed that she halted the proceedings.

"Danny, we gotta stop," she whispered, hating herself with every syllable. The confusion in his eyes made her uncomfortable and she ran a hand through her hair. "It's not that I planned to come over here for a make-out session. I just thought you'd need a little distraction to get your mind off of Louie. I had no idea it was that bad though," she smirked and sucked in her breath. Danny closed his eyes and shook his head, like a dog ridding its ears of water. "No, it's fine. Really." He offered a small smile, which she returned quickly. Biting her lip, Allie moved around him and towards the open window. She was climbing onto the fire escape when she heard her name.

"Allie," Danny began, unsure of how to say what he wanted to tell her. _Aw, fuckit._ "You did take my mind off of Louie. Just thought I should let you know." He winked at her and she turned bright red. Allie was grateful for the darkness as she rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Glad to see you're back to normal. See you tomorrow." She waved gently and began her descent down the fire escape, quickly crossing the alley that separated their houses and climbing up her own fire escape into her own room.

Danny watched her go until he realized his tease to her had been the truth. Being kissed by his best friend really had allowed him to forget about his pain with Louie. He lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling, grinning. _Can't wait to see what school's going to be like this year._

---

"Danny. _Danny. _**DANNY!**" Lindsay wasn't used to being blocked out, especially by a colleague of hers. He seemed to wake up out of a dream, starting as though she had taken him out of a deep sleep. Lindsay wearily shook her head, puling gently on his arms. "C'mon, let's get some food in you. Then we'll talk. How 'bout that?" Her eyes didn't allow room for argument and Danny nodded as he let himself be led out of his bedroom, into his kitchen and plunked at his own table. Had he been in full sanity, he would have found it all very insulting. Now, it was just exhausting. Very exhausting, in fact.

"So, how about some toast and scrambled eggs? My specialty. Do you have any milk? Oh, there it is. You know, Danny, in Montana, the cows all—" Lindsay stopped short for the second time that day as she realized Danny Messer, scientist and detective, was finally getting what he deserved.

A good night's sleep.


	4. Bittersweet Dreams

"_He's dead, Danny." Allie's voice was thick with tears as she sat on the floor, curled into a protective ball. "He's dead, and THEY shot him. His **friends**." Her sarcasm and anger came through thick, despite the sadness in her eyes. "Louie Messer, Sonny Sassone, and Sal Zabo shot him in the back, pretending that it was a Pelham Boy. They used his death as an excuse to start a territory war!" _

_Danny shook his head slowly, not wanting to believe a word of it. "You're wrong," he said flatly, voice low with anger. "Louie wouldn't do something like that. My brother, while an idiot for his affiliation with Tanglewood, is not a murder." _

"_Oh, would you listen to yourself?" Allie stood quickly, her lips trembling as she attempted to hold back the biting words racing through her brain. "You're just as bad as he is. Pretending nothing's happened, when my brother—my brother… Oh, my, god." She sank onto the bed, holding her head in her hands. Danny stood with his hands in his pockets, biting his lip. _

"_Allie, I—" _

"_Get out." The words were clearer than anything she had spoken since he had gotten there, and she raised her tearstained face slowly. There was a determination burning in her eyes he had never seen before, and Danny stepped back, stunned. "What?" _

_Allie nodded her head, tears starting to fall again. "You can't be here, not now. And I can't look you in the eyes, knowing you're defending Louie in all of this." _

"_He's my brother, Al! What do you want me to do? Pretend that family doesn't matter? I can't do that! I hate to say it, but it's kinda Mikey's fault that this mess happened at all." He was digging a hole, deeper than one he would be able to escape. Danny knew that when Allie looked at him like she was doing right now, with rage and disbelief in her eyes, he was going to far. But his stubborn pride wouldn't let him stop. "Thanks to your brother, you feel this way. It was his choice to go tonight." Danny's voice was husky, as though he couldn't quite breathe. Allie flinched at his words before raising her eyes to look at him again. "Yeah, well, thanks to your brother, my brother's dead." _

"**NO!**" Danny's head shot up from the table, his eyes wild. He saw Lindsay staring at him, startled, and realized that he had just come up screaming from a dream: about the dead. Lindsay jumped and put her arms up to defend her self as Danny stood up from his place at his table and sprinted for the door to his apartment. Scrambling to catch up with him, Lindsay ran after him, catching up as he attempted to fling open the door. She slammed into him, causing him to lurch forward and smack his head on the doorpost.

"SHIT!" Danny's curse was loud enough to get some bangs from the ceiling indicating unhappy neighbors, and Lindsay covered his mouth reflexively. "Messer, do I need to handcuff you and drag you downtown, or are you going to cooperate?" She hissed into his ear. Her arm that wasn't wrapped around his neck found its way around his arms, holding him. He looked at her sarcastically. She felt something wet against her palm and her face twisted in disgust as she realized he had licked her hand. "Oh, that's mature," she muttered as she quickly released his mouth, but kept her arm wound tightly around his neck. He smirked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Right, and body-checkin' me into a door was the perfect adult thing to do. Good one, Montana." He shifted slightly, so her back was pressed against the hall wall. "Now," Danny's eyes were darker than usual, and his voice was low and gravelly, "Would you mind releasin' me so that I can move normally?"

Lindsay met his gaze straight on, not intimidated in the slightest. "Only if you promise not to run again. I just want to know why you're so scared to tell me about this girl," she ended in a hiss of breath as Danny shoved her roughly against the wall.

"Yeah, well, I wanna know why you seem to think you have the right to know everythin' about me when I know nothin' about you. Nothin'. Linds, you told me that if you show a little respect, you might get some in return. I get nothin' from you. Don't expect me to give anythin' back." He saw the light go out of her eyes and knew he had struck a nerve. One she had already thought about. "But you already know that." His face went from disbelief to anger in two seconds flat as it dawned on him. "You knew that's what you were doin' when you showed up here. You were gonna make me talk without givin' up anythin' in return." He pulled away from her arms forcefully, blood boiling. "Fuck," he whispered, running fingers through short brown hair. Lindsay stayed pressed against the wall like he was still holding her there. She watched him shake his head in skepticism and felt tears come to her eyes.

"I-I just thought that you'd be ready to talk about it. I mean, she's been dead for sixteen years." Lindsay's voice was small and Danny looked up in shock. _Oh, now I've really thrown the fat in the fire._ She closed her eyes and licked her lips, pressing on. "Danny, I know I haven't been able to tell you anything. But that's not because I don't want to, I just can't bear to think about it. You were at her grave, you have pictures. You've kept her in your life and I've tried to eliminate th—" she caught herself, breath hitching, "My memories."

The soft brushes of fingers on her cheek made her open her eyes in surprise. He was scant inches from her now, his blue eyes shining, not with tears, but understanding. They stood there for minutes, watching each other's eyes warily. He finally smiled, albeit weakly, and laid his forehead against hers. "God, you remind me so much of Allie. She hated lettin' me see her cry, but she couldn't help it." He looked into chocolate brown eyes and twisted a lock of light brown hair around his finger. "You two look so alike and are so different at the same time. It's amazin'." His eyes never left Lindsay's as he wet his lips and moved closer. "She never would have let me do this," and he pressed his lips against hers in a slow gesture, tasting hints of coffee and mint. Lindsay whimpered softly and brought her arms to his waist. The kiss was simple and soft, full of questions and not so many answers.

"She didn't let you kiss her?" Lindsay asked, as they pulled apart slowly. Every nerve in her body tingled from contact.

Danny shook his head. "Not after a fight, she didn't. If it was romantic or an apology, she hated it. Allie wasn't a sucker for romance." He grinned crookedly. "I guess that's why we fought so much." He chuckled lightly. "I remember one time, she came up to my room and kissed me, just to get my mind off of somethin'. That's how she was."

Lindsay snorted under her breath, hands still firmly in place on his hips. "So you are a romantic."

"All Italians are," came the whispered reply and his lips took over once again. Lindsay let herself be swept away momentarily until she couldn't take it any more. It was either sex or answers, and she wasn't completely sure she was ready for either.

"Mmm, Danny," her tongue wrapped itself around his name and she shivered as a low "Yeah," answered. "I need…something," she couldn't quite remember which ultimatum she was giving him, and the way his eyes looked at her made her not want to remember.

Without a further word, he pulled her in the direction of his bedroom, leading her gently through a path she had already ventured on that day. Lindsay gulped as they reached his room and he killed the closet light. Completely immersed in darkness, he began kissing her again, this time covering every bit of exposed skin he could find. Lindsay rested her head against his bedroom door, enjoying the experience.

_I bet he learned to kiss this good with her._

The little voice was muttering in her mind, and nothing Lindsay focused on could make it go away. She grabbed Danny's chin and forced him to stop what he was doing and look at her. His eyes immediately spotted her insecurity. "_Ti amo, non un fantasma_," he breathed into her ear and Lindsay melted.

Danny saw her eyes roll back into her head and he knew the Italian had worked its magic. Normally a way to get girls into bed for him, this time the language of his ancestors had a deeper meaning. She was jealous and fearful about his attachment to Allie. Sure, he had loved Allie, and missed her, some days more than most. But she was dead and Lindsay was here, begging him with every breath to take her.

And that's exactly what he was planning to do.

----

**A/N:** Bwahahaha, CLIFFHANGER!! (ducks for cover)

Okay, so props to anyone who knows what Danny said. Reviews are loved and brownie points to those of you who have given me feedback already:D


	5. Keep Pushing On

**A/N:** BACK, by popular demand… (Actually, I have to have you all thank DKM on this one… she's the reason I decided not to leave you hanging… _APPLAUSE_). This is where things get really steamy. Shield your eyes, children!

Note: I don't write condoms in… but I strongly suggest you use them. Or don't have sex before marriage. That is all.

-----------

"D-Danny. I can't…can't…"_Can't what, Lindsay? Speak? Breathe? Think clearly? Contain yourself? WHAT, DAMMIT? _

Danny Messer's blue eyes sparkled as he moved his mouth inches away from hers. "Can't what, Linds?" One of his hands shifted from its place behind her head and moved downward slowly, swiping a trail across her throat and between her heaving breasts. He knew exactly what he was doing to her: it made him swell with pride (literally) to think that she was unable to function because of him. He watched as her mouth struggled to find the words to tell him her predicament. _I don't think I want you speakin', sweetheart._ The thought was so delightfully wicked that Danny had to grin at his own evil nature. He moved the hand to the right, until it was cupping one of the things he loved most about women.

_HOLY SSSSHHHH…_ "Oh, My God, Danny," Lindsay whimpered softly, amazed by what such a simple action could do to her common sense. She should be pounding him for answers, not pounding…other things. She licked her lips and slowly opened her eyes to see that he was still staring at her, delight and wonder etched on his features. She twisted her fingers in his hair, gently pulling him closer. "I can't believe there's still this much clothing between us," she told him softly, like it was a secret only the two of them could know. He nodded an affirmative and, before he knew what had happened, she was playing with the elastic of his sweats. _Soooo happy he didn't put his shirt back on,_ she thought to herself, as pretty soon the only thing keeping the tough New Yorker from being completely nude was his boxer shorts. Danny's brows knit together in consternation, as he looked from where the tent was forming in his underwear to the smirk on Lindsay's face. "Hey, now, you're a participant in this too, y'know."

Lindsay raised an eyebrow and kicked off her shoes, reducing her height. "I'm aware. You have yet to persuade me otherwise." Without further ado, she held up her arms expectantly, giving Danny a smoldering look that radiated lust. He obliged, pulling her t-shirt over her head to produce a sight that made him groan in desire. "Red? C'mon, this has got to be the least fair playin' field ever." His eyes never left the lacy red lingerie, and he softly ran a palm over one scantily clad nipple. The result was exactly what he had hoped for. Her head softly rested against the door behind her and quickly moved her hand until it was gently stroking his abs. _Mmm, yes._

"Seriously, Montana. We gotta do something about this, um, uh, mmm," Danny's mind went blank as Lindsay's hand slipped slowly down the front of his shorts until she was palming his masculinity.

"Oh, quit your whining and find the rest before I'm forced to do something drastic." Lindsay's voice was breathy and shaking from the combined effects of cold air and Danny's hand. He traced a line down her stomach with both hands, resting at the waistband of her jeans. Lindsay's hands covered his and she pushed them towards the clasp, begging in one fluid motion. Danny didn't waste any time: the denim was gone in less than five seconds, and the matching panties were staring him in the face. _Thank you, God._

As his eyes slowly ran over her body, Danny formed a conclusion. "Holy fuck, you're beautiful." He pulled her in tight for a hug, and Lindsay's breathing halted completely. _Okay, we gotta find a bed. Like, now._

"Danny?" Gasp, gasp, pant.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'." Groan.

They collapsed on his bed in a flurry of arms, legs, and other members. At first he was confident that he would be on top, especially with the way she was moaning underneath him. But as he leaned down to kiss her, he was flipped onto his back and she was straddling his hips, a cat-caught-the-canary smile on her lips. He was about to protest when her hot center circled around him slowly, and he soon found that he didn't mind so much. "Linds, I'm loving the underwear, really. But it's gotta go." He unclasped the bra with practiced skill, throwing it to the floor. Her breasts were heaving from excitement and apprehension and her nipples stood erect. The sight of her made him smile and she was surprised to find that she wasn't at all ashamed. In fact, the hungry look in his eyes made her even brasher and she swiftly stuck her hand down his shorts, coming in contact with her new best friend. She fondled him gently with one hand while the other traced circles over his chest, around his nipples, and across his navel.

"SweetMarymothaofGod," the blasphemous praise fell fast from his lips as he grabbed both breasts in his hands, squeezing as she returned the favor on him. The pair of them thought the same thing at the same time. "You do yours, I'll do mine. Faster," the command from her was quickly obeyed as they both got rid of whatever article of clothing that was left on their bodies. She grasped him firmly in one hand and slid down slowly, enjoying the sensation swooping through her stomach. Her walls clenched around him reflexively, surprised by the length. "Danny. Holy wow."

"You gotta a point there, sweetheart," his voice was gravelly from the effort of not exploding and she sighed at the satisfaction of knowing he was just as ready for this as she was. Riding him passionately, Lindsay was in her own world of pleasure when Danny suddenly sat up, driving himself deeper within her. Stars flashed before her eyes and she hit rock bottom and bounced off the walls, whispering his name, digging her fingernails into his back. She realized, too late, that the scratches she was leaving in his skin were another way of marking him as her own. _Still competing with the dead girl, are we?_ It was at that moment Danny decided to test her limits and stroked her clit slowly, experimenting. She bit his shoulder to keep from screaming too loud and felt him shake. Danny's head buried into the crook of her neck as he followed her into sheer happiness. Their breaths came in short bursts of air, and he carefully lay back, puling her with him. She groaned at the movement. Pulling from him slowly, she lay next to his still- panting form on the bed. He stared at the ceiling, trying to get his brain back in working order.

"Are you okay?" Her fingers on his chest, brought him gently back to earth, and he turned his head, smiling into her eyes. "I think there's a word for this. It's called perfect, or somethin' like that." His tease made her roll her eyes and Lindsay pulled the covers of his unmade bed around them, snuggling closer into Danny's chest. "Cute," she mumbled, twining a leg with his under the sheets.

In the darkness they lay, thinking their own thoughts until Danny propped up his head on one arm, and looked at Lindsay straight on. "Allie was my best friend in high school. She and I grew up next to each other on the same street on Staten Island. My brother Louie and her brother Mikey were the same age. Our moms met at the same parentin' classes and it was a mix of Irish and Italian heritages from the day of our births. The biggest hope of our parents was that me and Allie would get married, have kids, be the perfect couple. Then Louie got involved with Sonny, puling Mikey into Tanglewood right after their graduation. Allie hated Louie for it: I guess that's when we really would start fightin' a lot. But we never stopped being friends with each other. Mikey looked out for me and Louie would scare any Tanglewood Boys away from her, whether she knew about it or not." He smirked. "She wouldn't have had those guys anyway."

Lindsay smiled at his afterthought. "Sounds like she was pretty tough."

Danny nodded. "She was." He ran a finger up Lindsay's wrist, over her elbow, to her shoulder, and back. The goosebumps on her arm made him smile and he kissed her shoulder softly. "She was a lot like you, to be perfectly honest."

"You said that already, dummy." Lindsay stroked his cheek softly. "What I don't understand is why you were so reluctant to talk about her. And why you woke up yelling 'No'." Her deep brown eyes looked into his blue ones, searching.

Danny placed his hand over hers on his cheek, removing it and kissing the fingers. "If I tell you, will you promise me somethin'?" Lindsay nodded quickly. "Will you trade me a story for a story? I tell you about Allie, and you give me some hint as to why Montana's such a pain in the ass to remember. 'Kay?"

Lindsay's eyes held no hesitation. She had just had unbelievable sex with this man, and he was willing to open up to her. It was high time she did the same. "A story for a story. All right."

Gathering her in his arms, Danny kissed the top of her head, and began.

---

**A/N2:** And that, my friends, is where we leave the present and scoot over into the past. I hate to leave it here, really I do, but I'm currently going somewhere without any Internet, so it will be a few days… plenty of writing time though!! Keep reading… peace and chocolate ice-cream.


	6. Senior Doesn't Mean Smarter

**A/N:** Now we enter 1990… and the time of young Danny. Just thought I'd clarify.

---

"Daniel! You are going to be late, son, if you don't get your ass out of bed. NOW!" Maria Messer wasn't kidding. She pounded on her youngest son's door forcefully. That was the warning: next came the strike. When no one answered, she sighed and jimmied the doorknob until the door swung open.

Danny's room, as usual, looked to be the result of a tornado. Clothes lay on the floor and his guitar was propped against his desk chair. The desk hadn't been used for sometime, and had become home to all sorts of interesting artifacts. General chaos ensued, and Maria knew that if she didn't invoke some order, loss of limb could quite possibly be the result. "Danny? Get up, child." A groan was the only reply. "_Figlio. Imediatamente_." She smacked the lumpy bedspread once.

"All right, I'm up, I'm up. Geez." A miffed eighteen year old emerged from his bed and blinked sleepily at his mother, then his alarm clock. A blue- eyed look of distress was directed back at his mother. "Ma. It's just six."

Maria nodded, noticing the open window that hadn't been there when she had checked on him last night before going to bed herself. "Yes, well, I'm not going to let you be late on your first day back. You're a senior now." She clucked her tongue and began picking up dirty clothes from the floor. Maria never bothered her sons during the summer, which was their time. When the school year rolled around, however, she upheld the belief that less mess meant more concentration. "It doesn't help that our last name is MESSer, Ma," her oldest son, Louie, had once quipped. _Louie. That'll get him up._ "Your brother wants to see you off before you leave."

She was surprised when a look of annoyance crossed Danny's handsome features. "Oh, he has time now? That's great." Noticing his mother's questioning look, Danny flashed her a brilliant smile. "I mean, great! I'll be down in a minute." He kept smiling until Maria left the room. Groaning, Danny threw himself back on his bed, pulling the covers over his head. "Shit."

"You'll want to watch your language. What if your ma came up here and heard you using such words? She'd hit you so hard your future heirs would feel it." A chuckle. "Come to think of it, she'd probably wait until you had kids and then kick your ass. Can't risk the chance of zero grandkids." Allie's voice was mocking and Danny removed the sheet from over his head to see her leaning casually against his doorpost, arms crossed. Her auburn hair was pulled into a high ponytail, giving her a look of mock severity, and she cocked an eyebrow at his sheepish face. Danny quickly rolled out of bed and stood, stretching. He was showing off for her, and she knew it. Allie's eyes quickly appraised his toned stomach muscles and strong biceps. Danny didn't miss the appreciation and he grinned cockily at her. "Like what you see, O'Brien? Maybe want a repeat of last night?"

Allie snorted, picking up a shirt from his abandoned desk. She tossed it at him, marveling at the speed with which he caught it. "You wish, Messer. Glad to see you're paying attention. Now, let's go before Mikey and Louie eat everything." She saw irritation on Danny's face and put her hands on her hips, biting her lip. "Just forget about last night. They both came back alive: isn't that what's important?" She grinned broadly. "Now, quit sulking and let's go."

"Okay, okay. I'm comin'. Lemme find my—" He grinned as Allie dangled his glasses from one finger, swinging them slowly. "Thanks." He took them carefully and placed them on his nose, pushing them up with a practiced thumb. "Okay, let's go." He grabbed a cap and placed it on his head backwards, giving him a whole new sexy factor. Allie rolled her eyes and pushed him out the door, inwardly sighing in satisfaction. _Whole new year, whole new list of possibilities._

---

"Hey! There's a senior! And there's another one!" Mikey pulled his sister into a quick hug, playfully uppercutting her chin. "God, I can't believe you're in your last year. Unbelievable, right, Lou?" He looked over to his friend for confirmation. Louie Messer nodded, smiling at his younger brother. "Yeah. It's somethin' else. Have a good year, yeah?" He held out his hand; for a shake or a hug, it was up to Danny. Danny studied his older brother in the kitchen the two of them had grown up in and realized that he barely knew Louie anymore. Three years ago, when Louie himself was eighteen, Danny idolized him for being the coolest person he knew. Now, Danny was practically on the same level as Louie, not quite an adult but not a child any longer, and the tables were turned. Danny was the popular one and Louie seemed tired, almost vulnerable.

"Dan? You okay?" Louie's voice snapped him out of his reverie and Danny pasted on quick grin and tackled Louie in a hug. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, bro." The Messer brothers threw a few quick punches, pure fun, until Allie noticed the time. "Uh, Danny, hate to break up the love-fest, but we gots ta go." She pulled free of her brother, kissing him briefly on the cheek. "Danny's giving me a ride, Mike. I'll see you tonight." She grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen table and her backpack from where it sat, almost unnoticed, in a chair next to the table. "Let's go, boyo!"

'Yeah!" Danny grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter and was about to head out the door when a shout made both him and Allie turn around. Mikey and Louie stood with their arms crossed, surveying the teenagers. Mikey nodded his head, looking Danny in the eye. His hazel eyes, so much like his sister's, held no lies. "Danny, you make sure none of those punks at school even look at my sister, got it?" He looked stern and Danny nodded, ignoring Allie's groans of protest.

"Mikey! That's not even funny," Allie whined, rubbing her eyes with one hand. She shot Danny a _Say-a-word-and-I'll-shoot-you_ look and he grinned. _Not a chance, sweetheart._ "No problem, Mike." Danny bit his tongue to prevent laughter as Allie's indignant shriek struck his ears.

"Oh, wait, Mike; aren't you forgettin' somethin'?" Louie nudged his friend, a smirk firmly in place on his lips.

Mikey pretended to contemplate for a brief moment before acting like he was receiving a great epiphany. "Oh, yeah!' He crossed the kitchen until he was face to face with Danny. The younger man kept looking him bravely in the eye, even when it was apparent Danny wanted to burst out laughing. Allie moved slightly, as though to come to her friend's rescue. Mikey bent over slightly, until he was looking over Danny's shoulder. "Keep your hands to yourself, Danny boy." He winked at the stunned teenagers and pushed them both out the door. "Play nice, kiddies!" The two older men burst into laughter as their younger siblings climbed into Danny's car and sped away.

Allie slammed her head against the headrest, furious. "Can you believe them? My God!" She covered her face with her hands, embarrassed. "I'm going to kill him."

"Don't worry about it, Al. They were just playin' around." Danny's hands clenched around the steering wheel as he thought of how Mikey's eyes had looked. Michael O'Brien had been serious when he had told Danny to be careful, and Danny had no wish to disobey him.

Allie saw his knuckles turn white and looked out the window. "Right. That's why you're going to do exactly what he told you." She ignored Danny's sigh of apology and rested her head against the window.

The rest of the ride was silent as each side contemplated the events of the morning and the night before. As they pulled into a parking spot in front of the school, Allie turned to face Danny after making sure no one could see them. He watched her, expecting her to rant and rave a little bit longer. There was no doubt about it: Allie had an Irish temper. _Not that you're much better,_ Danny thought wryly to himself. Whenever he thought about it, it made him smile. The only culture difference between the Irish and the Italians, when you really thought about it, was that the Irish lived to drink while the Italians lived to eat. Everything else concerning religion, family, beliefs, and superstitions: everything was identical between the two heritages.

"So, I've been thinking." Allie looked at Danny for a moment before looking down at her hands. "About what Mikey said." Another glance up.

Danny sighed. "Allie, I told you, don't take him seriously. He was just—"

"And I say, screw it."

"What?" Danny's eyes grew wide before her mouth covered his and her hands were firmly tangled in his hair. Danny groaned and ran his tongue over her lips, demanding admittance. She granted it briefly, touching her tongue softly to his.

As soon as she had jumped on him, she pulled back, not bothering to wipe her mouth. She smirked at the stunned look on his face and placed a finger on the side of her nose. "We're going to be late." Laughing manically at a dumbfounded Danny, she bounded out of the car and ran to catch up with some of her newly arrived girlfriends. She never looked back and Danny watched her go with a sigh. He looked down at the bulge in his pants and slammed his head back against the headrest. "You really gotta stop doin' that, Al," he whispered to the wind, "It's not smart on either of our parts." Danny waited at least five minutes before venturing out of the car, trying to look cool as several of his baseball friends called his name. Pretending nothing had happened, he sauntered into the school before the first bell. He saw Allie on his way to class and she waved happily. He flashed her a sexy grin, charms turned on high. _You want to play dirty? Let's play dirty._ The girls around her giggled and she grinned back, cocking an eyebrow.

It was going to be an interesting year.


	7. Oy Vey, Everybody

"Face it, Messer. You're whipped." Tony Marza crossed his arms and leaned across the tabletop, feeling very much like the mob boss his father was. He surveyed his victim with cool gray eyes, chewing a stick of gum slowly. His friend and cousin, Vinnie Sabatorino, hid a grin behind his hand as he watched the scene before him unfold.

Danny leaned forward as well, clasping his hands in front of him. Only two months into the school year and the boys already had calluses from baseball bats. Danny absently picked at a piece of skin on his palm while studying Tony's eyes for signs of a challenge. Finding none, he decided to go along with the joke. "Nah, you're wrong. Truth be told, I got her eatin' out of the palm of my hand. She thinks she's got me wrapped around her little finger, but really, it's the other way around." He grinned at a group of passing junior girls, who began giggling and flipping their hair at the attention they were being given. The three of them watched the girls walk away until Danny looked away and began flexing his hands, warming up for pitching practice. Vinnie nudged Tony, who nodded.

"You know, Messer, that that's a bunch of bullshit."

Danny looked up in surprise at Tony' declaration. "Fuck you!"

Tony chuckled, holding up his hands. "Okay, okay. Sorry. But seriously, Messer," he ran a hand through his hair, thinking. "There's gotta be some way for you to prove, and I mean we _all_ see it, that she is with you! I mean, it can't be that hard, a smooth guy like you." Tony looked up slowly from the peeling paint on the table to see clear blue eyes staring him down. Tony accepted the test, knowing it could be deadly to their "friendship" if he looked away. He had just inadvertently mocked Danny Messer's ability to attract a member of the female species, and that within itself was trouble. Pulling Allie into the mix was suicide. Tony knew that, no matter how much tough-guy smack Danny talked and the amount of time he spent flirting with other girls, Danny's heart belonged to Allie. Every breathing guy who wanted to keep his balls knew that. The only question was: Did Allie return Danny's affections?

Vinnie watched the two, his head shifting between the two boys like a spectator at a tennis match. There was no doubt in Vinnie's mind that Danny would agree to whatever Tony had in mind; Messer couldn't resist a challenge. Danny was a good kid, but he always had a tendency to need to prove himself: Girls, school, baseball – there was no doubt that Danny was gifted. It had been Vinnie's motley baseball team Danny had beat in the last neighborhood lot game. Thinking about it as he scanned his eyes across the school grounds, Vinnie suspected that it had a lot to do with Louie. Danny was constantly trying to get on his brother's good side, and Vinnie knew it was because Danny could never really get Louie's attention: the older Messer was too concerned with Tanglewood and Sonny.

"'Aight. What do I need to do?" Danny's voice was strong and he crossed his arms confidently, leaning back in his seat. Tony clapped his hands together and smiled. "With any luck, **you** won't have to do much. All's you gotta do is get her to say yes to the party tomorrow night. Get her there, dance a little bit, and turn on the charm. If she falls for it and everyone can see she likes you, you're set. Your reputation as a lady-killer is still alive and Allie gets to be the lucky girl on Danny Messer's arm."

Danny shook his head, not believing it was that simple. "C'mon, man. That's not gonna work. One: Allie would kill me if I ever thought of her as a trophy," Tony and Vinnie smirked at each other at his concern, "And two: no one's gonna believe that we're together. They're gonna say we're just friends, nuthin' more."

Vinnie nodded, suddenly concerned. "He's gotta point."

"I know he's gotta point, dumbass," Tony rolled his eyes. _He's gonna blow this if he's not careful._ "But all Messer has to do is make sure she doesn't lose interest." He looked pointedly at Danny. "If she really likes you, she shouldn't." He raised his eyebrows so they practically disappeared into his hairline. "Right?"

Danny took a deep breath before smiling confidently. "Right." He stood quickly, grabbing his baseball gear. "Now that that's finished, I'm gonna go warm up. See you guys in a few." He nodded a goodbye and strode away, nodding to the giggling girls on a bench a few feet away from where the cousins were now sitting alone.

"Shit." Tony slowly let out the breath he had been holding since Danny Messer had agreed, when they had accosted him during lunch period, to meet with them before baseball practice. Vinnie grunted his approval and rested his forehead against the tabletop. "Man, she finds out about this, and he's dead man." His voice was muffled by the position of his head and Tony nodded, biting his lip. "Psh, forget Allie. Louie Messer finds out we been anywhere near his brother, and he'll have **us** killed." He gulped. "He could do it, too."

Vinnie raised his head in skepticism. "Louie? Kill somebody? No way." He sighed. They both knew that Louie didn't like them very much, therefore not wanting the pair of them anywhere around his brother: that didn't mean he hated them enough to kill them. But the man they were working for, he was someone to fear. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Oh yeah," Tony nodded again, this time full of certainty. He looked to where Danny was swinging a baseball bat with practiced ease, taking his time to perfect his already flawless form. "I gotta admit, though; Messer's got some kind of steel balls."

Vinnie snorted, resuming his place on the plastic table. "No kiddin'."

---

Danny lounged against the wooden door leading into the fine arts wing with the air of someone who couldn't care less. In reality, he was having a small heart attack. Allie would be getting out of rehearsal any minute now and he had only a split second to grab her and ask her about the party before girls wanting to be his next girlfriend bombarded him. _Are you insane? You don't want a bunch of hot girls desperately wantin' to be the piece on your arm? Are you nuts?_ He kicked the little voice inside his head, running a hand over his face. It was true that ever since Allie had kissed him that night, he hadn't cared about other girls: only her. Was he going soft? Or was it just time for him to face facts: Allie O'Brien could be the girl for him. _Okay, officially one too many baseballs to the head, Messer._ He checked his watch for the umpteenth time since he had grabbed his spot on the door. _Three, two, one: show time._

A vast multitude of theater folk, dancers, singers, actors, and the like, swept from the auditorium in a blaze of noise. Danny searched for the familiar auburn hair in the crowd, ignoring the looks of surprise he was getting. It was rare for a super-star jock to be seen this far from the fields, especially during warm-ups. Pushing his way through the bodies, Danny was finally rewarded. There, talking to a blonde who looked familiar and an older, batty-looking woman who was probably the director: _Allie._ His stomach did flip-flops, much to his surprise. He ignored the feeling and quickly made his way over to where she was.

"All I am saying, Morgan, is that if we put you in back, Mica would have a better chance of getting downstage in time to do her number. It's for the good of the production." Allie's hands were moving in time with her mouth and she looked agitated. The blonde, Morgan, rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Yeah, but I belong in front. I'm shorter than she is."

Allie pursed her lips. "That doesn't mean anything. The **good** dancers are the ones who need to be in front; not the glory-seekers." Danny winced at the tone of her voice: she meant business, and was not to be argued with. Unfortunately, Morgan was not that smart. She let out a shriek of indignation and looked Allie up and down as though judging how easily she could beat up the other girl. Morgan's eyes narrowed when she realized trying to fight the Irish-bred was not a good idea. "So, why are you in front then?" She smirked at her idea of a witty comeback and waited for a reaction: she was disappointed.

Allie spotted Danny out of the corner of her eye and smiled softly. "Talent and thirteen years of Irish dance and ballet. That's why." She nodded politely to the overwhelmed director and sauntered over to where Danny was standing and grinning at what he had just witnessed. Allie kept walking, motioning for him to fall into step with her. "I need a ride home. Now." Her lips barely moved as her pace quickened. He nodded mutely, still tickled by the way she had shot down the other girl. The two of them made their way out of the building and to the student parking lot without incident. It was when they reached the first row of cars that Danny noticed something was off. He looked back at the school and let out a strangled chuckle. "Allie? I think you should see this…"

The majority of the dancers had accumulated on the front steps of the school, all of them female. Morgan was at the head of the ranks, and Danny could feel the heat of her anger from where he stood. "Allie, I'm serious. Look…" He motioned helplessly towards the girls.

"Keep walking, Messer. She's just pissed off." Allie's head never turned and her face remained impassive.

"**_BITCH!_"** The curse echoed throughout the grounds and Allie smirked at the voice. "She better learn how to get over it. She's got a year left: I graduate in May." She smiled sweetly at Danny. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of Mister Messer waiting for me after rehearsal? Shouldn't you be prepping for baseball?" She stopped at his car to wait for him to unlock the doors and grant her access.

Danny slid across the hood of his car before placing his key in the lock. He flashed a sexy smile over the roof of the car and she rolled her eyes. "Danny, please. What do you want?" She threw her belongings in the backseat of the car, smiling as it landed on his baseball gear. Ignoring his attempt at an innocent face, she climbed into the passenger seat, shutting the door and leaning her head against the headrest. She didn't look over at Danny until the sound of his door shutting and his keys in the ignition told her that he was in the car. Hazel eyes left the sky through the windshield and met blue irises head on. "So, what's up?"

Danny cleared his throat and grinned. "Allie. Baby."

She snorted. "Don't even try that baby act on me, Messer. You know it doesn't work." He widened the grin into the infamous crooked smile. "Neither will the smile. What do you want?"

He pouted, although his blue eyes were sparkling with amusement. "What the hell makes you think I want somethin''?"

Allie rolled her eyes again and he chuckled at her annoyance. "Please, Danny. You very rarely give me a ride without wanting something."

"That's not true! I've given you a ride to school every single morning this week and not wanted anythin'!" His indignation made his accent thick and Allie held up her hands, laughing. "Okay, okay! But what do you want **now**?"

Danny sighed and placed his hands on the steering wheel, finally turning on the car. "Well, now I don't feel like asking you." He flinched at the slap on his shoulder. "Ouch."

Allie giggled. "Don't be an antagonist. Just ask me!"

"Fine." Danny took a deep breath and looked straight out the windshield. "I was just wonderin' if you would do me the honor of comin' with me to the party tomorrow night." He held his breath, never once looking at her. _She's gonna say no. I can feel it._ Mentally bracing himself for rejection, Danny was surprised when he heard the sound of muffled laughter. He looked over, surprised, to see Allie cackling into her sweatshirt. _Hey, that's my shirt._ "What the hell is so damn funny?"

Allie looked up, hazel eyes shining. "It took you that long to get up the nerve to ask me to a _party_?" She snorted again and Danny couldn't help but grin. "Well, not exactly…"

She held up her hand, still laughing. "Man, I must really intimidate you, or somethin'. It's never taken a guy that long to ask me out." She swept her bangs back from her forehead, smiling. "I'm flattered, Messer."

"But?" _Brace yourself, buddy, 'cuz here it comes._

Allie looked confused. "But what?" She stared at him for a moment before realization dawned on her pretty features. "Oh. No, I'd be happy to go. There is not but." She happily kissed his cheek and sat back in her seat, contented. "Now, get this bucket of rust home. I got a lot of homework."

Danny was so pleased by her consent that he didn't even care she had dissed his car. It was a small price to pay for their technical **first real date.** He gleefully engaged in the conversation about the "Dancer Fiasco," as Allie called it, that he had rescued her from and was disappointed when their respective houses came into view. Allie quickly climbed out of the car, grabbing her stuff from the backseat. "So, I guess I'll see you later?" She was walking backwards while talking, and he marveled at the ease with which she navigated around his trashcan and hers. He nodded deftly, letting out a long sigh. "Yup. Now I guess it's the resting period."

Allie smirked, still walking up her stairs backwards. "Thank God for Friday nights, right?"

Danny smiled. "Right. See ya."

She waved and pushed her way through the door of her house, calling a quick, "Bye!" before shutting the door. She dropped her bags and leaned against the heavy door, attempting to still her heartbeat. _Did I just agree to a **date** with Danny Messer? Oh, my God. Bómánta cailín._ She shook her head, clearing the thoughts there. Had she just spoken Gaelic? "He's even affecting my language!" she muttered to herself.

"Didja say somethin'?" Mikey's head peeked around the doorway leading into the kitchen, causing Allie to jump a mile. "Shit, Mike! Announce your presence, or something!" Allie pressed a hand to her chest, attempting to slow her speeding heart rate. He grinned at her and took another bite out of the sandwich he was holding. "Whatever. I live here too, ya know."

Allie picked up her stuff and trudged up the stairs to her bedroom. "Since when? I thought you moved out a year ago, dummy." She had to strain her ears to hear his response.

"Since I got kicked out of my apartment, that's when. Don't tell Ma. I told her I wanted to come home." Mikey disappeared into the kitchen once more and Allie shook her head as she made her way into her bedroom. Of course Mikey had gotten kicked out of his apartment; the super hated the Irish. "Lemme meet him, then we'll see what happens," Allie mumbled to the emptiness of her room. She looked out the window and her heart stopped. Danny's window was across the alleyway, challenging her. "Shit, shit, shit." She rushed back downstairs, grabbed the phone, and raced back to her room; ignoring the questioning look Mikey gave her. She slammed her door forcefully and dialed a quick number.

"Erin? Danny asked me out. Yeah, I know it's about time, but I don't know what to wear. Be here in five minutes, 'kay? Yeah, bye." She hung up and stared at the window. "Danny Messer, prepare to be stunned." Running a hand through her hair, Allie sighed. So much to do, so little time. Oy vey.

---

**A/N:** Okay, so Allie says "Stupid girl" in Gaelic; I just thought I'd throw that in there, since Danny has been able to use his fangasmic Italian on us.

Sorry to cut you off, but there's some pretty intense stuff coming up and I want that to be a second chapter.


	8. Surprise, Surprise

**A/N:** This is the night of the party, Saturday night. Just sit back and watch the fireworks. Heh heh heh.

---

The doorbell rang, and Allie jumped, smearing her mascara down her cheek. "Shit!" she swore under her breath, quickly grabbing a tissue to repair the damage with. She heard the front door open and her mother loudly welcome their guest. Straining her ears, Allie caught wind of, "Danny! She's still upstairs. Let me go tell her you're here."

Her eyes widened in the mirror and she quickly began retrying to apply the mascara. She was bound and determined to seem collected, at least in front of her mother. She had been restless for two days now, and the worst part was that she didn't even understand why herself. Danny was a friend. A very cute friend with the potential to ravish her any time he so wished, but still: a friend. There was no reason for her to have gone through eleven different outfits, four hairstyles, five pairs of shoes, and three consecutive hours of prepping for tonight's party. But she had. As much as she tried to convince herself that this was just a friend date, nothing more, she couldn't. This was a major marker on the high way of her and Danny's relationship. She had to admit, she had a thing for him. She wasn't quite sure what that "thing" would escalate into, but her end of it was pretty serious.

"Allison, your **date's** here." The stress Aileen O'Brien put on one word sent Allie's stomach into butterflies, and she grinned sheepishly at her mother in the mirror. "Thanks, Mom. I gathered from the welcoming committee at the front door." She screwed the mascara brush back into its bottle and ran her fingers through her hair one last time. Taking a deep breath and a final look, Allie swept past Aileen on a sea of nerves and made her way to the stairs, stopping at the landing for effect.

Danny had been lightly joking with Mikey, just to kill some of the tension in the room, but his mouth stopped functioning altogether when he saw her at the top of the stairs. She smirked at his stare and began her descent, hips swinging with every step. She was dressed modestly, in a black skirt and green tee shirt that slightly accented every curve and brightened her auburn hair and hazel eyes, but the way her hair framed her face and the sparkle in her eyes caught his attention, and Danny couldn't help but ogle. She reached the bottom step and leaned against the banister, taking him in. Even though he was just wearing jeans and a simple navy blue baseball shirt, his whole body screamed confidence, and damn her if that wasn't sexy.

"Lookin' good, Messer," she teased lightly, a smile playing about her lips. He grinned back cockily and she noticed that he wasn't wearing his glasses. "Likewise, O'Br- Allie." _Don't call her by her last name tonight, man. You wouldn't call any other date by her last name._ He caught Mikey's grin out of the corner of his eye and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Allie let a grin out at his compliment and grabbed her jean jacket and purse. She kissed her mother and brother, muttering goodbyes into their ears. "I'll be home by two at the very latest," she promised, and Danny held the door open for her. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to find a very stern Mikey.

"Don't do anything that would give me reason to kill you," Mikey warned, his eyes boring into Danny's, the promise of pain embedded in their usually warm depths. The younger man nodded, smiling. "Not a problem, Mike. I'll look after her." Danny waved goodbye to Aileen and followed his date (_God, that's weird_) to his car. Allie reached for the door handle, only to be stopped by the sound of Danny's voice.

"Ah, ah, ah, I got it." He jogged up behind her and opened the door, mock bowing gallantly. Allie rolled her eyes and slid into the vehicle, allowing her skirt to ride up briefly, giving Danny a good look at her well-toned dancer's legs. He cleared his throat nervously and shut the door, going around the back instead of the front. He didn't want her to see him praying. _Dear God, let me keep it together tonight. I can't lose her over somethin' so stupid as my over-active imagination._

Allie smiled as he climbed into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. "Well, that wasn't awkward."

His fingers slipped on the wheel. _What?_ "What?" He cocked and eyebrow at her and pulled out into the street, still mostly studying her.

"My brother. He's way too overprotective." She pinched the bridge of her nose thoughtfully, trying to find a way to get Danny to agree with her. She didn't want tonight to seem like it was being ruled over by old beliefs and traditions.

Danny smirked and turned a corner. "Nah. If I were him, I'd kill me too." He paused, thinking. "Did that make sense?"

Allie laughed. "Yes, but your reasoning doesn't." She turned in her seat to face him and Danny clenched the wheel a little bit tighter. "I thought you were the kind of guy who acted first, then talked. So far, all we've done is talk."

He rolled his eyes, grinning sexily at her in the glow of the streetlights. "Ooookay, if you call two mind-numbin' kisses in the past six months 'talkin''." He turned another corner, pulling up in front of a house whose driveway was infested with automobiles. Danny risked a look at Allie and saw her staring out the windshield pensively, and he knew she was contemplating what he had just said. "Al, look at me." She obliged and he took a big breath. "I know I've got a rep longer than the ticket line at a Yankees' openin' season game," He offered an apologetic grin at his comparison, and she snorted, "But I really don't want **this**," he moved a hand back and forth, indicating the two of them, "to be all about 'talkin''." He moved his fingers in the hypothetical "quote-unquote" type way. Allie cocked an eyebrow at him and he realized what he had just said. "Wait…that didn't come out right…what I meant was…I don't want us to just kiss…I mean, kissin' would be good, yeah, of course, but we should talk to….and I mean, with words, not with our mouths….no, with mouths, but not connected…wait…hang on…"

Allie threw back her head and laughed at his confusion. She gently placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. "Messer, you talk too much."

He groaned. "Don't do that."

She grinned and bit her lip. "Sorry. I mean, you're over-thinking this." At his skeptic look she shook her head. "You know what, screw this whole prepping-ourselves-for-whatever-happens thing." She opened the door, sliding out gracefully. "I say we party."

Danny climbed out as well, straightening his shirt. He came around the car to stand beside her. "I second that motion."

Allie nodded confidently and began to walk, surprised when Danny's hand held her back. She looked over her shoulder at him with a question in her eyes and he bit his lip. Coming close enough to her to whisper in her ear, he let his lips brush gently against the outer shell, making her shiver. "You really do look amazin', Allie," he muttered, squeezing her hand once for effect. Allie's face grew red with pleasure and she opened her mouth to return the compliment. "Thanks, Danny. You—"

"**GET A ROOM!**" The voice echoed out over the yard and the pair of them jumped. Grinning sheepishly, they started winding their way through a maze of cars to the front door. Danny held her hand firmly in his, informing the small group of punks in the front yard who she was with. Allie smiled and waved at various people, keeping everything very casual so as not to seem too ruffled by the former outburst. _I am so being hated by at least five girls right now. Boo-ya._

The door was open when the reached the front stoop, and the music blaring from the inside of the house was enough to make any self-respecting person cringe in horror. Steeling one another with a look, Danny and Allie cautiously crossed into the foyer of the house, immediately finding themselves swept off to opposite corners of the house by their best friends.

---

"Ohmygod, you look amazing!" Erin Cavanaugh screamed into Allie's ear as she pulled her into a corner. Allie grabbed a can of Coke from a cooler on the table next to them and grinned. "Thanks, he seemed to think so too."

Erin snorted into her drink, causing Allie to re-think the idea that her best friend was completely sober. "I could tell. His heart just about broke when I pulled you over here." She took another swig of the liquid in the red plastic cup and studied her friend. "You're glowing," she informed Allie, swaying slightly with the effects of alcohol in her system.

Allie simply grinned and sipped her Coke. Erin giggled and turned to survey the crowd, leaving Allie to her own musings. Allie's eyes did a quick once-over of the room, scanning faces to see if she recognized anyone. Disappointed, her gaze became fixed on her date.

Danny was standing with a group of baseball players, hands in his pockets, laughing at something one of the guys had just said. He caught her staring at him and nodded his head in the stereotypical "Howyoudoin'?" gesture guys favored so much. She snickered and waved back, wiggling her fingers in just a way that made his mouth turn up in a half-grin. Allie bit her lip and took another sip of her drink, hazel irises still locked on blue pools. Danny's smiled broadened and he winked at her, turning back to the group quickly to avoid any mockery that might come his way. Allie laughed outright at his antics and bit the rim of the soda can. "Such a dork," she whispered under her breath, still staring.

"Shit. What the hell are _those two_ doing here?" Erin's voice cut into Allie's thoughts and her head snapped around to look at her friend. Erin's face was etched with concern and Allie turned to see what was causing such grief.

Tony Marza and Vinnie Sabatorino, each with a girl on his arm, were smiling and talking with a group of admirers that had flocked around them. Allie's breath caught in her chest and she handed her drink to Erin. "I'm leaving. Get out of here as soon as you can." She hugged Erin quickly, and muttered, "You know that wherever he goes, they go. He'll be here soon, and you don't need to be." She pulled back in time to see Erin's head nodding, eyes wide with worry. Allie smiled half-heartedly. "I'll be fine. **Go.**" She pushed her best friend into the next room and set off through the fray of bodies to find her date.

It didn't take her long. Danny was being handed a can of beer when Allie came up behind him. Smiling and pretending to enjoy her surroundings, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Can we go?" she whispered in his ear, still smiling beatifically at those around them.

Danny set the can down on the counter and turned to face her, suddenly uneasy. "What? Why?" He looked around to where her eyes were focused and saw Tony staring at him. He offered up a small wave and turned back around, confused. "Because he's here? Al, they're friends of mine. It's fine."

She shook her head quickly, anxiety growing in her eyes. "No, Danny. Don't be friends with him, or Vinnie." She looked up into his blue eyes, begging now. "They're working for Sonny. He'll be here soon, and I don't want to be when he gets here."

Danny's brain stopped functioning completely. "They work for Sonny Sassone—"

She cut him off with a quick kiss. "Yes, shh." Still pretending like she was having fun, Allie grabbed his hand and pulled him through the living room, past the place where Vinnie and Tony were congregated. Danny looked back once to see Tony nodding his approval at where he thought the pair of them were headed, and Danny did the only logical thing: he shoved his middle finger up in the air, directing the action at the other male. _That's what I think of you pinheads doing Sonny's dirty work for him._

Tony merely smirked at the action and watched the pair of them go. Inside, however, the Hallelujah chorus was in full swing. _Thank God she knows what's good for her._

---

Danny pulled into the parking lot of the laundromat, taking a deep breath as he surveyed his shell-shocked date next to him.

"Allie. _Allie._ **Allie!**" Danny didn't take kindly to being ignored, and when she wouldn't answer him, he had to yell to get her attention. She started as though he had hit her and stared at him with big eyes. "Now that I've got your full and un-divided—"

"Are you really friends with those guys?" Her voice was flat and his grin fell from his face faster than if someone had erased it for him.

"Umm…define friends…"

"You said you were friends with Tony. Were you serious?" Allie turned to face him in her seat and Danny wished he had never opened his mouth. "Kinda… it depends on…"

"Yeah, okay, deals that you make with Tony Marza concerning me and your masculinity does not make you two friends." Allie crossed her arms and fixed him with such a severe look that he winced. "You knew about that?"

She snorted. "Of course I knew. The Fioretti sisters were right behind you when you made the deal, and they told Erin, who told me." She smacked his shoulder. "Asshole."

Danny thought back, trying to remember. "Oh yeah. The juniors." He smiled crookedly. "I'm really sorry, Al."

Her gaze softened. "You're still a jerk, despite the fact that you were unwilling to think of me as a trophy." She held up her hand, silencing his stuttered defense. "I don't need to know the whole story: the Fiorettis are good at what they do. But if you ever," she jabbed a finger into his chest, "bet on me again," jab, "I'll kick your ass." A final jab and she grabbed his hand. "You didn't know that they're working for Sonny, did you."

Danny shook his head, relieved that she wasn't too angry. "No. I swear, if I had known, I never woulda talked to 'em."

Allie tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Really?"

Danny's jaw dropped at her question. "Yeah, really! Allie, I don't mess around with punks like that. You know me," he gave her a pleading look, "right?"

Allie shrugged and turned to look out of the windshield. "Yeah, I know." She sighed. "Mikey's gonna try to get out of Tanglewood," she mumbled, not looking at Danny. "He's gonna resign next week, he says. Gettin' out for good, to make somethin' of himself. He told me not to be around Sonny, just in case somethin' goes wrong." Her breath caught and she forced herself to hold back tears. "I'm scared for him, Danny."

A hand came up behind her head, softly stroking her neck. She turned and was immediately comforted by his lips, pressing gently against hers. She whimpered and clutched the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. Danny's arm snaked around her and held her tight. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "Nothin's gonna happen, Al. I promise."

She bit her lip, feeling one tear trail its way down her cheek. "God, I hope you're right."

His thumb came up to swipe gently across her cheek, taking the tear with it. _Me too,_ he thought, but he simply smiled and kissed her again. This time the action was so filled with passion that Allie nearly succumbed to all the dirty thoughts roving in her head. She was just about to suggest they go find somewhere to be alone when Danny pulled away and sat back in his seat, licking his lips. She stared at him, annoyed and confused, and he chuckled when he saw her face. "It's almost two. Shouldn't we be headin' home?"

Allie rolled her eyes. _He's un-fucking-believable!_ "I guess so."

The ride home was uneventful, although Allie noticed that he never once let go of her hand, not even when navigating some of the more tricky streets in their neighborhood. Pulling up in front of her house, she sighed and smiled at him. "Some first date, huh?"

Danny smirked and nodded. "No. Kiddin'." He closed his eyes in mock tiredness. "I'm beat."

Allie giggled and kissed him lightly on the lips. "See ya tomorrow, nerd."

"Not if I don't see you first," he muttered, puling one of their childhood banters out of the trunk. She smiled at his eyes still being firmly shut and turned to go.

"Danny." The tone was urgent and he looked up in surprise. "What?"

Allie's eyes were full of dread. "The lights are still on."

---

Somewhere, a cliff hates me for letting it hang… This was by far the longest chapter I've written… comments, concerns, funny jokes? Let me know!


	9. Murder of the Heart

It took Danny all of three seconds to take in the gravity of her words and he bolted out of the car almost as fast as Allie. She was half a step ahead of him as they clambered up her front steps, and Danny nearly slammed into her as she fumbled with door, struggling to get it open.

Now, to realize the full severity of the situation, one must know the facts. Mikey was almost always asleep by eleven, twelve at the very latest, preferring to rise with the sun and start his day in the most positive way he could, given his lifestyle. Two in the morning was never an option for him, even when Sonny was out partying until all hours of the night. Aileen O'Brien, for her own part, owned a bookstore that was open seven days a week, come rain or shine. She bedded down as early as possible in order to be refreshed for a day of dealing with stubborn customers and people who "just didn't understand fine literature". Lights on in the O'Brien household at two in the morning only happened in times of great joy, like a birth, or in times of anxiety and fear, like a death.

Allie couldn't name any relatives off the top of her head who were pregnant, and no one she knew of was deathly ill. That could only leave…

"Ma, where's Mikey?" Allie's voice was shrill as she burst through the heavy door and she could feel Danny panting behind her. A flash of navy blue caught her eye and she turned her head to see a police officer taking notes on a small pad. Panicked eyes swept the room, halting their search when they landed on Maria Messer comforting a distraught Aileen. A cry tore itself from Allie's throat and she rushed to her mother, flinging herself into Maria's warm embrace. The tears fell fast and hard, choking Allie with such force that she found it difficult to catch her breath.

Danny's wide eyed look wasn't missed by his mother and she nodded to the O'Brien's living room where, upon further inspection, Danny found a blood-spattered Louie standing with his hands in his back pockets, giving information to a cop. The officer looked the young man over once suspiciously before passing Danny and heading out into the night to walk to his squad car a few blocks away.

"What happened, Lou?" Danny cursed the tremor in his voice and Louie's tired eyes closed as he collapsed onto the weathered couch, holding his head in his hands. "He was leavin' tonight," he muttered, so quietly Danny had to come closer to hear him. "He wanted me to be behind him when he got his out date and I told him I would be. When we went to tell Sonny, he was a lot cooler about it than I thought. He just nodded and told us to come with him, for one last party. I figured we were headed to the one you and Allie was at." Louie stared at his hands, twisting his fingers together. "When we saw that Sonny was headed to Pelham Bay, Mikey started to back out; said he was done with Pelham and Tanglewood, and was gettin' out to protect his family. Sonny started to yell at him and they got into it. Then we were ambushed by a bunch of Pelham guys. There was this gunshot, and a flash of light, and Mikey was bleedin' on the ground. Pelham disappeared and Sonny and Sal took off."

"You called the cops?" Danny asked quietly, amazed that his brother would be the one to contact the authorities.

Louie scoffed, looking up at his younger brother for the first time in many minutes. "Don't be stupid, Dan. The neighbors said they'd heard a brawl, called the police in on a disturbance. That's when they found Mikey." He stopped to clear his throat and Danny could tell that his tough older brother was on the verge of tears. "He was dead when they got there. I just stayed by the body, so's I could identify it and all that shit." He shook his dark hair out of his eyes, glaring up at the ceiling. "They dragged me back here, to tell Aileen and Ma." He smirked and glanced at Danny, who balled his hands into fists in anger. "They're out there lookin' for a Pelham boy with blood on his hands."

"Why shouldn't they, if it was a member of Pelham crew that shot Mikey?" Danny asked calmly, feeling his heart rate speed up as Louie stood to face his brother full on.

Louie's eyes were blank as he studied Danny for a moment. "You know Sonny's temper, Dan. He doesn't take rejection lightly." He stretched, reaching his hands above his head. "Well, this'll be a good chance to start a blood demand. Sonny's gonna want revenge on the idiot that shot Mikey. Put a bullet in his gut, see how he feels." He shook his head, stilling any more questions in Danny's mind. "Go comfort your girlfriend," he muttered as he swept past his younger brother. "Sounds like she needs it."

Danny turned and watched his brother, the man he had idolized for so many years, walk into the night and down the street without looking back once. An evil thought was eating away at the young man's mind, but he pushed it back quickly, unable to deal with the burden that came with thinking such thoughts. Danny ran his hands over his face before stumbling back into the front hallway where Aileen was nowhere to be found and Maria was comforting a still-sobbing Allie. "Take her upstairs," his mother told him quietly, passing Allie to him and he nodded, wrapping his arms around the grief-ridden girl. "Aileen and I are going to start making arrangements." She patted his cheek for a moment and his throat ached as he saw his mother's eyes fill with tears. "Thank God it wasn't you or Louie," her eyes said and he diverted his gaze, feeling guilty that his mother was thankful on a night such as this.

"C'mon, Al. Let's get you upstairs." Danny wrapped an arm around her waist guided her upwards. He knew which room was hers after five years of sneaking out and crossing the space between their houses to creep to her room, to get homework answers or simply to talk. Her head buried into the crook of his neck and he could feel her shake against his body. Swallowing hard a few times, it was all Danny could do to keep a calm face. Inside, he was as torn apart by Mikey's death as she was. _God, he's really dead, isn't he?_ As Danny nudged open the door to her room with his foot and slowly led her inside, he bit his tongue hard, holding back tears. Mikey had been an older brother to him when Louie didn't want to be. Danny could have told Mike anything with the faith that none of it would be repeated to anyone. Now, the only other person he could trust as much as that was Allie, and she was having a rough time of it as it was.

Muttering condolences and words of soothing comfort, Danny gently placed Allie on her bed, crouching in front of her. He gently touched her cheek, drawing her eyes to his and in the dark he could see the tears glisten on her face. "What do you need me to do?"

Surprisingly, she let out a watery chuckle, making him grin. "I don't think you can do what I need," she whispered, and Danny's breath caught in his throat. She drew him up next to her on the bed and turned to face him. "Is that a fact?" he whispered back, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from her face. Allie nodded, her eyes focused on the dark window where raindrops were beginning to spatter the glass. Danny watched as she bit her lip and heaved a great sigh, letting the breath out slowly.

"Have you ever killed someone, Dan?" The soft-spoken question caught him off-guard and he blinked in surprise. "W-what?"

She turned her face to his, eyes serious. "I mean it. Have you ever killed someone?"

He shook his head slowly, not sure what else to do. His voice didn't seem to be working, and he cursed his lack of brain waves. The question should have sent of alarms in his mind, clues that Allie needed more help than he could provide. But he couldn't move, couldn't think, and couldn't speak.

"Neither have I. But I think I could, if the situation required it." She looked away from him slowly, staring out the window again. "I want him dead, Danny. I want all of them dead."

He let out a shaky breath, understanding now what she was talking about. "I know, Al. Sonny's gonna go to Pelham, demand a blood price for whoever killed Mikey—"

"Not Pelham boys. They're not responsible for this." Her voice was sharp and Danny nearly drew blood from his lip at what her words were suggesting. "What the hell are ya talkin' about, Al? Louie told me, they went to Pelham Bay and were attacked by a bunch of crewmembers. Simple as that."

"Yeah, Ma told me Louie's story too, and it doesn't match up." Her voice shook and Danny clenched his fists in attempt to keep the evil thought at the back of his mind from rising. "Anyone could have jumped them down there; why Pelham boys? Louie knows the names of all the members down there, why didn't he give names? Because, Danny," she rose from the bed and moved to lean against the wall, hugging her arms to her body tightly, "it wasn't a group of Pelham boys that attacked them. There never was a group of Pelham Bay members. The brawl the neighbors heard was Sonny beating the crap out of Mikey, and Louie and Sal were there to hold him back. Simple as that."

"So you're sayin' my brother shot Mikey?" Danny's accent was strong with anger and he stood as Allie slowly sank to the floor. She shook her head, eyes closed. "No, Sonny shot Mikey. Louie had to know about it, though. Hell, he brought Mikey to Sonny!" She looked up at Danny with begging eyes. _Please, accept that you know what I say is true._

"No, Al. Louie wouldn't do that. Mikey was his friend. Mikey wouldn't—"

"He's dead, Danny." Allie's voice was thick with tears as she sat on the floor, curled into a protective ball. "He's dead, and THEY shot him. His **friends**." Her sarcasm and anger came through thick, despite the sadness in her eyes. "Louie Messer, Sonny Sassone, and Sal Zabo shot him in the back, pretending that it was a Pelham Boy. They used his death as an excuse to start a territory war!"

Danny shook his head slowly, not wanting to believe a word of it. "You're wrong," he said flatly, voice low with anger. "Louie wouldn't do something like that. My brother, while an idiot for his affiliation with Tanglewood, is not a murderer."

"Oh, would you listen to yourself?" Allie stood quickly, her lips trembling as she attempted to hold back the biting words racing through her brain. "You're just as bad as he is. Pretending nothing's happened, when my brother—my brother… Oh, my, god." She sank back onto the bed, holding her head in her hands. Danny stood with his hands in his pockets, biting his lip.

"Allie, I—"

"Get out." The words were clearer than anything she had spoken since he had gotten her there, and she raised her tearstained face slowly. There was a determination burning in her eyes he had never seen before, and Danny stepped back, stunned. "What?"

Allie nodded her head, tears starting to fall again. "You can't be here, not now. And I can't look you in the eyes, knowing you're defending Louie in all of this."

"He's my brother, Al! What do you want me to do? Pretend that family doesn't matter? I can't do that! I hate to say it, but it's kinda Mikey's fault that this mess happened at all." He was digging a hole, deeper than one he would be able to escape. Danny knew that when Allie looked at him like she was doing right now, with rage and disbelief in her eyes, he was going too far. But his stubborn pride wouldn't let him stop. "Thanks to your brother, you feel this way. It was his choice to go tonight." Danny's voice was husky, as though he couldn't quite breathe. Allie flinched at his words before raising her eyes to look at him again. "Yeah, well, thanks to your brother, my brother's dead."

Danny shook his head. "No, Allie. Louie didn't kill him." He turned to go, stopping at the door. "Did you know Mikey got his outdate tonight? He didn't have to go down to Pelham, but he did. He **chose** to go with Sonny." He flung the door open and raced down the stairs, ignoring his mother's questioning look. Danny ran out into the rain, spreading his arms as the cool drops struck his body.

"It's not true. Louie didn't know Mikey was going to die." No matter how hard he tried, Danny couldn't erase the gnawing doubt in the pit of his stomach and he leaned against the railing of the O'Brien's front steps, attempting to stop the pain in his chest. He felt the burning in his throat and he retched, emptying the contents of his stomach into the gutter. _I'm dyin'_, he thought vaguely and he raised his eyes to the heavens, blinking tears out of his eyes. _I'm dyin', and I killed her._

---

**A/N:** I know I haven't updated this story in a while: I apologize. But now I'd like to know, what are you thinking?


	10. Due To Circumstances

"Oh, Danny." Lindsay clung to her lover tighter, sighing. "How awful."

"Yeah, it wasn't exactly the most fun night of my life, I can yell ya that much." Danny's blue eyes were staring at the wall, void of emotion. Lindsay hesitantly reached up to stroke his cheek and he refocused on her, smiling at the worry in her eyes. "But it's just the past right?" He leaned down to kiss her softly, his grin disappearing as he saw her somber brown eyes studying him. "What?"

"What happened after that? I mean, you two must have reconciled, right?" Lindsay shifted slightly to see him better. "There's a reason she's…" her voice trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

"Dead?" There was a bite to Danny's tone and Lindsay flinched. His eyes softened and he closed his eyes, thinking. "Sorry, it's just…"

Lindsay nodded, cutting him off. "Hard, I know." She swallowed, looking away. "Painful memories are never any fun."

"Is that what you're tryin' to block out? Painful memories?" She turned back to see his eyes, deep and caring, watching her. She nodded and Danny recognized the signs of not wanting to say anything further. He sighed and put his arm around her, drawing her closer. "After that night, we had a period of not talkin' to each other. Louie and I went to the funeral, but it was out of obligation, not choice." He cleared his throat, smiling when Lindsay looked up at him in surprise. "You think Louie and I wanted to be there? Him with his part in Mikey's death and me, defendin' my brother?" Danny shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No one spoke to us the whole time. I wouldn't have minded so much, except that Missus O'Brien came up afterwards to give Louie and me a hug, thankin' my brother for bein' there with Mike when he went. Allie wouldn't even look at me." Danny shrugged. "I figured it would pass, and she'd be sneakin' over the alley to talk to me again." He smirked, biting his lip. "It didn't. For pretty much the rest of the school year she gave me the cold shoulder."

Lindsay shuddered, remembering her own share of block-outs. "Didn't you try to talk to her?"

He surprised her by laughing, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You know how Stella gets when she's mad? There's no point in talkin' to her until you're sure she won't shoot ya?" He could feel Lindsay nod underneath him. "Well, Allie was ten times worse than that. She was angry at a lot of people who went around sayin' Mikey had gone and gotten himself killed, not to mention upset that I had, at one point, been one of 'em. She wouldn't let me get near her, and the one time I cornered her after school before baseball, she gave me a black eye that would put a heavyweight champ to shame." He shook his head. "Nah, I let her have her space. It could have ruined us, but then stuff happened, and we were back on speakin' terms."

Lindsay moved from Danny's arms and turned so she was lying stomach-down on the pillow. "What stuff?"

Danny felt his throat tighten and his fists clench. He glanced at Lindsay warily. "You sure you wanna know?"

A skeptic look from her made him grin and he took a deep breath. "It was in May, after a game. Perfect weather, and the team was celebratin' 'cause we won. So a couple of the guys decided to go out and party and I went with 'em." He swallowed hard. "Things got outta hand, and some assholes crossed the line." 

"Danny…" Lindsay's soft voice told him that his explanation wasn't sufficient and he smirked.

"Remember that idiot Tony and his cousin? It was their fault that night went the way it did…"

---

_The white lights of the stadium shone so brightly that they blinded Danny as he _blinked the sweat out of his eyes. It was a hot night, the last game of the season. He crouched down, feeling the tension run through his body as he watched the batter before winding up and letting go. It was his trademark fastball and he smiled in satisfaction as it sailed true over the plate. The crack of a bat and Danny practically swallowed his tongue in surprise before bolting into action, yelling for the ball. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the runner rounding first and sprinting for second. The ball was still somewhere in left field and Danny cursed silently as the runner hit second and made his way to third.

"C'mon, c'mon, dammit!" Danny cursed silently under his breath, virtually feeling the pounding of the runner's feet on the packed dirt as he crossed over third and sprinted for home. Suddenly, a shout of his name and Danny turned his head to see one of the outfielders throwing the baseball his way. He reached out automatically, catching the small white orb neatly in his glove. The runner saw this coming and turned face, racing back for third. Danny smirked and threw the ball, jumping up as the third baseman caught the ball milliseconds before the runner touched the base. The umpire called him out and the entire baseball team erupted into cheers, running to Danny and Matt, the third baseman. Hoisting the two boys upon their shoulders, the team carried the triumphant duo to the dugout.

---

Allie watched the celebrations with a wary eye, raising an eyebrow when the entire baseball team dumped the cooler of Gatorade on their coach. A faint snort to her left made her glance out of the corner of her eye at Erin, who sat with her arms folded, scowling at the field. "This is such a stupid sport. I don't know why you drag me here if all you want to do is watch the guy you're so pissed off at. After all, it's not like Mikey's playin' anymore…" her voice drifted off as Allie visibly stiffened and Erin bit her lip in silent apology.

Allie sighed and stood after a few moments of silent contemplation. "You're right. Let's go."

Erin clapped her hands and stood as well, smiling. "You wanna go to that party at Mick's tonight?" She shot a deadly glare at the cheering athletes. "The jocks probably won't be there."

Allie smirked. "With this victory, they'll hit every party on Staten Island." She ran a hand through her hair, thinking. "Yeah, we might as well go. It's almost the end of the year anyway." She picked her way out of the stands, making a beeline for the parking lot. "God, I'm ready to get out of this place."

Erin followed silently, knowing Allie was referring to more than just the baseball complex.

---

The music was loud, the atmosphere was pulsing, and Danny didn't know which way was up anymore. He just accepted the beer given to him when he walked through the door and that was it. He shook hands and took hugs, even kissing an extremely drunk girl back when she tackled him in the kitchen. His teammates hooted and hollered, eventually pulling him away from the young woman as her boyfriend realized what was going on. Danny just smiled and followed like an obedient puppy. His eyes immediately scanned the crowd, looking for the one person he was sure he wouldn't see. Though he acted like the champion he was allowed to be for the night, he felt like an idiot. There was no reason why Allie would be at a party. She would be home, finishing homework or spending time with her mom, who had gone off the deep end since they had put Mikey into the ground. Danny sighed and shook his head, taking a swig of his drink.

…And promptly spitting it back into the cup as he saw her. She was sitting on a couch, talking to some girls whose names he couldn't remember if he was paid to. Allie's hair was down, framing her face, and she was smiling. He felt himself grin, and he handed his cup off to some insignificant sophomore, winding his way through the crowd to get to her.

---

"…It's not that the test was hard, it's just that I'm so sick of studying." Allie nodded her head sympathetically as the blonde next to Erin explained her plight, as if the friends really cared. Truth be told, she was bored with the whole damn thing. She wanted to get away from the loud music and the idiots who thought she cared.

She felt Erin's foot connect with her shin, and she jumped, more from the surprise than the pain. "What the hell was that for?" she asked, and Erin motioned with her eyes to a boy standing in front of the group of girls. Allie looked up and stiffened as her eyes met the cool blue ones of Danny Messer. "Hey, Al," he mumbled, slightly slurring. "I hoped you'd be here."

She immediately felt the old longing, the wish that his brother hadn't been involved in her brother's death, but the lack of Mikey kept her from running back into Danny's arms. She narrowed her eyes and stood up, glaring. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm leaving." She waved quickly to Erin and stalked out of the room, heading for the front door and her car.

Danny began to follow her when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked down to see Erin shaking her head, lips pursed. "That's not a good idea, Dan. She's still not quite back to even slightly normal yet." She sighed and loosened the grip on his arm. "And you're too drunk to even think about trying to talk to her right now."

He brushed her off and cleared his throat. "This is bullshit, Erin." He looked in the direction Allie had left and squared his shoulders. "I'm tired of not talking to her, not being able to see her. I'm gonna go find her, whether you like it or not."

"Danny, no! I already told you, she doesn't want to talk!"

"You ain't my motha! Gerroff!" He ducked through the crowd before Erin could stop him and she stamped her foot angrily before looking around for one of the baseball guys that had arrived with Danny. Her eyes landed on Matt, the other hero of the night, and she grabbed him, pulling the burly senior with her with the determination of a thousand women. "Don't ask questions, just c'mon!"

---

Danny gasped as the cool night air hit his face, feeling the effects of the alcohol start to wear down. His buzz was disappearing, which was good if he wanted to be at all eloquent when he found Allie. He looked for her car over all the other vehicles parked up and down the street. Finding it, he ran towards it, hoping to catch her before she took off. To his surprise, there was no one in the car. He turned, trying to see if he had somehow missed her, when a sound from the alleyway directly across from him made him curious. He cracked his knuckles and started into the darkness, the light from the streetlamp being his only guide. As his eyes adjusted, he saw two figures, standing in the corner farthest from him. He thought they looked familiar, but the alcohol made his brain fuzzy and he could barely think straight. However, he knew who they were the minute the taller one started talking.

"C'mon, just a taste. Just a bit of a try, pretty girl." The voice was silky smooth and more slurred than anything Danny had ever heard before. He smiled, knowing for sure that the speaker was more wasted than he and Danny leaned against the wall, chuckling softly.

"Marza, what the hell d'you think you're playin' at?"

The taller figure whipped around, proving that it was indeed Tony, holding a beer bottle in one hand. He observed Danny scathingly for a moment before breaking into a wide grin that could better be described as a leer. "Well, Messer, I'm only takin' over where you lef' off." He staggered drunkenly to the right, giving Danny a full view of what Tony had been asking for so earnestly minutes before.

Allie's eyes were wide with fear, and she stared at Danny in panic, flinching when a drunk Vinnie came too close. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and her nostrils flared, the only other physical signs of her terror. Danny immediately reached sobriety, squaring his shoulders as he assessed the situation. "Let her go, Tony."

"Why? So you can take her back to your place? Not a chance." Tony scoffed and pulled a cigarette from behind his ear. Danny unconsciously reached up for his own smoke that he always carried behind his own ear. Tony smiled at lit his, throwing the match down on the ground when the tobacco began to burn. "I know you know what happens when you don't make the right move, Messer." He took a long drag before grimacing and throwing the cigarette at Danny. "Now, beat it."

Danny shook his head and stepped closer. "No."

Instantly, Tony was in his face, snarling. "You think you're so brave, big bad baseball man, but I know the truth. You're afraid of your own shadow, not to mention your brotha." He smirked and pulled back slightly, observing Danny's shocked face. "Yeah, I know you know about that night at Pelham. You're afraid Louie's not tellin' the whole truth." Tony snorted and stepped back a bit more and Danny saw his chance.

"_Patience is the key to gettin' a good run or a good girl. Trust me."_ Danny could hear his brother's advice echo through his head and he tensed, waiting for the moment when he could push Tony into the wall and get what he deserved. Just another step was all Danny needed. Until then, Danny needed to keep him talking.

"Listen, Tony, I'm sorry Coach benched you two tonight. But there's a party goin' on, which you're more than welcome to go to. Waste your time there, instead of out here with the rats." Danny shifted imperceptibly, almost tasting the tension in the air.

Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried about my baseball career, Messer. I got somethin' better to do with my life than waste four years in college." He smirked. "Sonny's offered me a life of comfort, so long as I do somethin' for him." He motioned behind him, where Allie was still shaking with fright. "Get rid of the O'Brien brats. He never did like Mikey, said he was too nice to be a Tanglewood Boy. Mikey's loss, right?" Tony took another step back and Danny pounced. Though Danny was smaller, he was tougher and quicker. He pushed the bigger boy back into the wall, slamming his occipital lobe into the brick. Danny used the heel of his palm to break Tony's nose, dodging as the blood spurted.

Tony screamed in pain and sunk to the concrete sidewalk of the alleyway. Danny heard Allie's warning of, "Dan, behind you," just in time, turning to lodge a swift punch right between Vinnie's eyes. The cousins lay prone on the ground and Danny smiled, breathing heavily. "They went down like the drunks they were, didn't they?"

Allie nodded and crossed to him, stopping a few feet away. "Thanks, Danny," she mumbled, not looking up at him but continuing to stare at her feet. He smiled and closed the gap between them. Crooking a finger beneath her chin, blue eyes met brown and she offered a watery grin. "I can't believe I let them corner me like that."

Danny shrugged and threw an arm about her shoulders, steering her out of the alley and into the lamp-lit street. "Forget about it. They'll wish they hadn't in a few hours." Stretching, Danny glanced at his watch. "Shouldn't you be gettin' home?"

She leaned against a low wall nonchalantly, nodding. "Yeah, I guess." There was a slight pause in her voice, and Danny waited, knowing she meant to continue. She didn't disappoint him. "Thanks, Dan."

He shifted so that he was leaning next to her and pulled the cigarette out from behind his ear. "You don't gotta thank me. Ever." There was a tone of finality in his voice and she shut her mouth with a snap, smiling sheepishly. He pulled a lighter out of his pocket, lit the smoke, and put the lighter back, taking a drag. Danny didn't miss the reproaching look from Allie and he grinned down at her. He knew she hated it when he smoked. He shrugged his shoulders, as if to show her that his bad habit didn't change the guy he was, but Allie pulled away, shaking her head and looking pointedly at the lit cigarette between his fingers. "That shit will kill you, Dan."

He chuckled and dropped the stick to the ground, extinguishing it beneath his toe. "What a way to go, huh?"

Allie nodded. "Yeah." She took a deep breath and moved so that her body was parallel from his. Her face was hallowed by the orange light of the street lamp and Danny's breath caught. _God, she's beautiful. Please, no matter what happens to me, never let me forget this moment._ Her hair shone with the artificial light and her eyes sparked with some internal flame that made Danny look again. Was that remorse he saw in her eyes? Not just the kind that came with the loss of a loved one, that was to be expected. This emotion looked almost ashamed, humiliated. He wasn't expecting it and he stood a little straighter, studying her.

"I've been doin' a lot of thinkin' over the past few months, Dan." Allie spoke softly and quickly, as though afraid she wouldn't get to say what she wanted to tell him in time. "And I came to the conclusion that no matter what I'm doin' or where I'm goin', if you're not there, makin' me smile, it doesn't feel like I'm doin' anythin' right." Her breath caught and she heaved an enormous watery sigh, holding back tears. "And I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for the things I said about Louie that night. I was upset and angry and a little bit lost, and I know that if anyone had said that to me about Mikey, I would have socked 'em."

"Aw, shit, Al, you don't have to…"

"Would you shut up and let me finish?" She cut him off, not in anger, but with an amused glance, telling him in the gentlest way possible that she was not done. "Hearing what those idiots said about Sonny and everythin' really made me see where I was wrong, and for that I apologize." She held a finger to his lips as he opened his mouth to say something and Danny felt his stomach plummet to his knees. She was smiling at him again. "You rescued me back there, Dan, and I'd love to forget that we fought and allow ourselves to move on in our lives."

He nodded, too dumbfounded to say much more. She laughed quietly at his expression and stepped away, ever so gently brushing his lips with her finger as she did so.

"Allie!" Erin's voice startled them both back to reality and Danny cursed as the angry girl came into the picture, with a very confused Matt in tow. "I told him not to talk to you, but he's just stubborn and I brought Matt to make sure that he didn't…why aren't you two ripping each other's heads off?"

Allie laughed and shook her head. "You missed it. Sorry."

"I knew it," Matt spoke up, pulling his arm away from Erin. "I told you they were fine."

"But…but….but…." Erin couldn't think clearly and Allie smirked, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Don't hurt yourself, sweetheart." She began to walk in the direction of her house, turning to call over her shoulder at Danny, "I owe you one, Messer!"

"You know it!" He yelled back, laughing as she waved and began arguing with Erin.

Matt looked from boy to girls, confused. "Did I miss somethin'?"

Danny just shook his head and watched Allie walk away. "You have no idea."

---

**A/N:** _So, I know it's been forever since I updated this story, or any story for that matter, but I would still love some awesome reviews! Please? _


	11. Painful Memory

"So you two were okay after that night?" Lindsay pulled one of Danny's old tee shirts over her head, shaking her light brown locks as they came free of the neck. Danny nodded wordlessly, watching her. He remained in bed, hands tucked behind his head and covers barely reaching his navel. There was a distance in his gaze, yet he was strangely focused on every little detail about her. Lindsay felt her cheeks grow warm with the steadiness in his eyes. She tugged the shirt down with one hand and smiled. "What?"

Slowly smiling, he shook his head, rising up on his elbows with a groan. "Nothin'. Just thinkin'." He sat up all the way, running his hands down his face. "What time is it?"

Lindsay looked around for her phone, her face creased in a slight frown. "I don't know just yet." She surveyed the room. "We made a mess."

Danny laughed and climbed out of the bed, stretching. Instantly, the warmth returned to Lindsay's face, but this time it crept over her neck and headed south. She bit her lip in appreciation of the fine specimen of manliness before her. Grabbing a pair of boxer shorts from the floor, Danny pulled them on swiftly, followed by a cotton pair of pajama pants the boxers had previously been lying on. "Linds, there's never not a time when my place isn't a mess." He caught his breath as he realized the hidden meaning in his words and his eyes collided with hers before he smiled sheepishly. "I mean I suck at cleaning."

Lindsay giggled. "S'ok. I understand what you mean." She sighed. "But I guess this means we can never be together, for I am a complete neat freak."

In one fluid motion, Danny stood in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. "I'm allergic to bullshit, Linds. I've seen your desk." He grinned cockily down at her and Lindsay couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I am a firm believer of never bringing work habits home with me. My apartment's spotless, thank you very much."

Danny snorted. "You are so full of it."

Lindsay smiled and pulled away from him. "Thank you, I try."

He pulled her back to him and was leaning down for a kiss when the loud ringing of a cell phone went off. Danny didn't recognize the tune, but Lindsay's eyes grew wide and she scrambled to locate the device. Danny rolled his eyes and followed her as she searched for the phone. A triumphant "Ha!" and Lindsay held up the small cell, pressing talk. Danny shuffled into the kitchen as he recognized the tone of voice with which she answered. _Thanks for callin' right now, Stel. I appreciate it._ Mentally, Danny kicked the sarcastic little voice for speaking up. It wasn't Stella's fault; the two of them were getting up anyway. Still, the disgruntled feeling that the woman who was almost a sister to him had bothered to call **now**, when he was at such a crucial point with Lindsay, just wouldn't go away. He sighed and stuck his head into the fridge. "I…need to go shoppin'," he mumbled, stretching out the last syllable into a long groan.

A giggle behind him and Danny turned to Lindsay leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, a blanket around her waist. "Talking to yourself? That's the first sign of insanity, don'tcha know."

He stretched and flashed her the familiar Messer grin. "Guilty as charged." Feigning innocence, he crossed his arms. "Who was that?"

She smiled at him, stepping further into the kitchen. "Stella. She wanted to tell me that she got a list of people who had visited the cemetery… one of them might be our suspect."

Danny nodded, watching as Lindsay crossed to the countertop and hoisted herself up. "Good. This whole thing should get wrapped up quick, I hope."

"Me too." Lindsay held out her arms and Danny moved into them gladly, resting his arms on her hips. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, grinning as she sighed. "You okay?" He asked quietly, leaning against her so that their foreheads were touching. Lindsay nodded, her brown eyes somber. "Danny, you remember how you told me you'd tell me your tragic story in exchange for mine?" He nodded and Lindsay took a deep breath. "Well, I think I should probably tell you now, while I've still got the courage."

"Not if you don't want to, Linds-" he started to protest, but a finger against his lips cut him off. She smiled faintly. "You tryin' to be a hero, Messer?" she quipped, copying his brogue perfectly. "I want to tell you. You've let me in on so much, it's only fair."

"Fair? You wanna be fair?" Danny smirked. "Since when?"

"Danny, I'm serious." Lindsay rested her cheek against his shoulder, feeling his warm skin against her cool face. "Mine's not nearly so romantic or chivalrous as yours though. When I was sixteen, me and three other girls went driving to the next county. We stopped at a gas station to get something to drink, and the next thing I know, we're on the floor with guns pressed to our heads. We had walked right into a robbery. They held us hostage for thirteen hours, then shot my best friends." Her breath caught and Danny tensed, puling away for a moment to look at her. Lindsay eyes were dry, but her face held so much pain in it that his heart broke.

"They killed those three girls in cold blood, and they would have gotten me too, except the manager of the store pressed the silent alarm when the second girl died, and the cops showed up as they turned the gun on me." She shuddered. "There was so much blood, and people were crying. The worst part was when the parents showed up just as the paramedics put me in the ambulance." Lindsay put her face in her hands. "The fathers were silent, staring. The mothers were the worst: crying and holding one another. I've never seen so much agony in one face."

"What were their names? Your friends." Danny rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. Vanilla and something else, something fruity he couldn't quite place.

"Moira, Kelly, and Jenna." She sniffed. "When I got to the hospital, my parents were there and they kept everyone away. You know how Allie was always there to comfort you?" Danny nodded slowly, wondering if maybe there had been a guy who kept Lindsay sane. He felt a twinge of jealousy, but squashed it swiftly. Now was not the time to be passing judgment one a guy when Lindsay was here, in his arms. "My best friend, Rory, was always like that. She could brighten a whole room simply by walking into it. She sat by my bed night and day, and then she sat next to me at the funerals." Lindsay shook her head, feeling her throat contract with tears. "She was the only one."

"Sometimes that's all it takes," Danny whispered, placing a loving kiss on Lindsay's temple.

She looked up at him, brown eyes confused. "What do you mean? Oh," a look of understanding crossed her features. "You mean, Allie?"

Danny grimaced and smiled shyly, suddenly feeling very warm. "Well, yeah, but even then there were moments when she was distracting me more than offerin' comfort and support." He poked Lindsay in the side, causing her to squirm. "Don't change the subject. I wanna hear more about this Rory character."

"You may get to meet her someday. I don't wanna ruin the surprise." Lindsay grinned and wiped her eyes. "Who's changing the subject now? Tell me what you mean by she distracted you."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You don't want to hear about that."

"I do so!" Playfully slapping his shoulder, Lindsay bit her lip. "Tell me? Please?"

Never able to resist a begging woman, Danny shrugged. "Okay. It was after the Hoffa thing, and I was **pissed**…"

---

**A/N:** _Short chapter, I know… but the next one is really long, and, well, interesting… so stay tuned!_


	12. Vulnerable Is Not Weak

Allie could hear the squealing of angry tires on pavement a block away and she caught the sound of a door slamming through walls and panes of glass. She leaned against her headboard, exhaling slowly. She had begged him not to go with Louie, to not give Louie a ride. Sonny would be there, and that could only mean trouble for the Messer brothers. She saw the light in his bedroom go on and shut off just as unexpectedly. Allie let out a sigh, fighting back tears. When Erin had told her that Sonny had taken Bobby, the foreboding fear had crept into her stomach and set up residency there.

Crawling off of her bed, she crept to her bedroom window where she could see into his room. Danny was rifling through the vast multitude of junk on his floor, chucking whatever he could find that had once belonged to Louie. "He keeps that up and he won't have anything left," she mumbled to herself. Sighing, Allie grabbed her jacket from her chair and opened her window quietly. If she woke up her mom now, she'd not escape her room for a month. Barely breathing, Allie slid onto the fire escape, shutting her window without a sound. She was silent going down the ladder and she crossed the alley to brush her fingers against the cold metal of the Messer's fire escape. She vaguely heard glass breaking combined with Danny's swearing, and she bit her lip. _He's even more pissed off than I thought._

Slinking up the ladder, she stopped outside his bedroom window. Through the glass, she could see Danny. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands, shoulders heaving: whether he was crying or out of breath, Allie couldn't tell. She took a deep breath and rapped lightly on the window, smiling and waving slightly when he looked up. His glasses weren't covering his eyes and she could see his features soften slightly at the sight of her.

He opened the window quietly, helping her in off the fire escape. "What are you doin' here?" he asked, voice raspy with tiredness and frustration. She shrugged and leaned against the window. "I heard you come home earlier than you said you were planning, and I thought I'd come see what was up." She cocked her head. "Your cigarette's gone."

Danny snorted. "No kiddin'." His face contorted into a grimace and Allie quickly dodged out of the way as he picked a baseball up off his desk and threw it at his wall. She stared at the dent apprehensively. "Okay. Apparently, the name of your brother—"

"I don't have a brother." Danny rounded on her with such fury in his eyes, Allie actually gulped. "Apparently, I'm an embarrassment," he snarled and Allie winced at the sarcasm in his voice. Danny let out a strangled sound that she had never heard before and drew back his fist, ramming it into the wall where the baseball had hit. He pulled back slowly, wincing. "Shit."

"Alright, Muscles, let's get you out of the range of hurting yourself." Allie pulled him away from the wall and pushed him into his desk chair, forcing him to look at her. "What happened, exactly?"

Danny surveyed her for a moment before closing his eyes. The previous hours rushed back to him in an ugly reminder of why he felt so angry.

_Danny pulled up in front of Giants' stadium, keeping a brave face as a very drunk Sonny and Sal caught his sightline. Louie glanced at his younger brother. "You up for this?" _

_Danny shrugged, parking the car. "Yeah. Why not?" _

_As the Messer brothers climbed out of the car, Sonny's voice cut through the night. "Yo, Louie, sorry 'bout the detour. I had to pull over! I'm hearing all kinda knocks and pings in my trunk." Louie smiled grimly, not looking at Danny. The younger Messer could hear the pounding as well, but he didn't let on that he noticed; with Sonny, you could never tell. _

_That's when Sonny opened his trunk to reveal an actual human being inside the trunk of the car. "Buon giorno," he wisecracked, spreading his arms wide. Danny could see the look of horror on the guy's face, and he shook his head in disgust as Sonny told him, "Stick around, Messer." Danny looked away, grabbing the cigarette behind his ear. He could hide behind the smoke, if the situation called for it. "Don't turn away!" Sonny's voice taunted, "You may learn somethin'!" Danny shook his head again, disbelief on his handsome features. There was no way he wanted to learn anything about where this was going. _

_As Sonny began to beat the kid, Danny felt the shame boiling in his stomach. He turned and closed his eyes, but couldn't block his ears. This poor kid didn't stand a chance, and all Danny could do was stand there while Sonny issued threats of every kind. What would Maria say if she saw her son there? The kid gasped for breath through the blood and Danny vaguely recognized him as one of Allie's friend's friends. Jesus, what would Allie say if she caught him there? Finally, Danny couldn't take it anymore. "C'mon, enough already! The kid's bleedin' from his face, and everywhere else! Leave him alone!" Danny pleaded with Sonny, hoping he sounded nonchalant enough to not be considered a pansy. _

_Apparently, he wasn't smooth enough. "Louie, screw your brother!" Sonny demanded, disgusted, and Danny winced as Louie came over, yelling. "Hey, go off! Hit the road!" Louie struck his brother across the face and Danny stared at him in disbelief. "Get outta here, hit the road, D!" Louie shoved him in the chest, and Danny stumbled backwards, soon finding himself on the ground. "You embarrass me in front of my boys?" Louie kept yelling as Sonny and Sal laughed and kept beating the kid. Danny cursed the boy's existence, and his own. If it weren't for that kid, this wouldn't be happening. Tossing his cigarette at his brother, Danny picked himself up off the ground and turned to leave. _

"_Get outta here, you're a disgrace!" Louie's last reprimand, though directed at the young man's back, cut Danny to the core, and he quickly climbed into his car, speeding away. "Get outta here!" echoed through his mind, and Danny quickly wiped his eyes, determined not to lose face, in front of God and everybody. "Fuck you," he muttered under his breath, all respect for Louie gone. _

"Sonny's an asshole." Allie stood up, smoothing his hair back from his forehead. Danny looked up at her, feeling feeble. "What did I do wrong, Al?" he croaked, watching her eyes for comfort. Allie smiled and bent down so he could see into her eyes better. "You did nothing wrong. You stood up for Bobby. That was the best thing you could have done."

Danny stood as well, nodding. "I know. I just felt so _stupid_ when Louie told me to beat it. If I'm not there to get him out of trouble, what'll happen to him?" He walked over to the window and placed his head against the glass, sighing as the cool pane made contact with his heated flesh.

"It's not your fault, Danny. Louie's in over his head is all. He'll figure a way out of it, he always does." Allie gently put her hand on his arm, feeling his muscles tense beneath his t-shirt.

Danny looked at her helplessly. "Yeah, but I can't help but thinkin' somethin' bad could happen to him if I'm not there."

"Danny, somethin' bad could happen to **you** if you **are** there." Allie shook her head and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I don't know what I'd do if you got in trouble because of this."

He smirked and pulled back slightly so he could see her face. "Well, I won't now, thanks to Louie. I'm not good enough to keep him from doin' somethin' stupid!"

Allie rolled her eyes. "I'm allergic to bullshit, Danny. Keep that up and I might not make it through the night."

His eyebrows shot up as he realized what she had said and she bit her lip, catching it as well. "I mean, umm…well, shit."

He cracked an amused smile. "So is that what you had in mind?" He chuckled, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand, like a child. "You're somethin' else, Al, let me tell ya."

She hit his shoulder playfully, pouting. "I just meant that I wouldn't stay to help you get over your heartache. I can leave, if you'd like." She turned to go, smiling when Danny grabbed her arm, holding her back. "No, don't leave! I'm sorry Al, really."

She turned to him, smirking. "Yeah, that's what I thought." She moved closer to him brushing her fingers against his chest. "You're still full of it, though," she informed him quietly, like it was a big secret only to be known to the two of them. He smiled and leaned down to press a gentle kiss against her lips. She leaned forward, strengthening the kiss a bit more, tangling her fingers in his hair. Danny groaned and his arms moved around her waist, holding her more firmly to him.

Without warning, the electricity in the air exploded in a flash of passion and Allie couldn't detach herself from his lips. Her hands snuck down to the hem of his white t-shirt and pulled it up over his head, a muffled yelp not quite escaping her vocal chords as he hungrily sought her lips again.

She didn't know when it happened, but she was spiraling towards out-of-control, and she liked it.

"Danny… oh, God," Allie couldn't keep herself from blaspheming as he clung to her body tighter, hands wrapping behind her neck for leverage as his lips explored hers. So much for just taking his mind off of his anger: she wanted him now in more ways than she had ever imagined possible.

"Jesus, Al… if this isn't what you had in mind when you came over here, tell me now, 'cause I can't hold back much longer." Danny's blue eyes darkened and burned with a fervor that scared him. He moved his mouth over hers, slipping his tongue between her lips, asking for permission. She gave it willingly, and he could feel his breath getting shorter as their tongues touched lightly. Allie's hands tangled in his brown hair as she whimpered. "You're not allowed to stop, Messer," she mumbled against him, hazel eyes daring him to defy her. He groaned and ran his own hands down her sides, brushing her breasts in the process. Allie shivered and enfolded him in her arms, pulling him to his bed. "Are your parents home?" she asked, breathless as the pair of them fell back on the bed, his body snugly covering hers. Danny shook his head no, closing the space between them with another kiss. He pushed her arms above her head with one hand, grasping the hem of her shirt with the other. A single look from her and he used both hands to deftly pull the shirt up and over her head, leaving nothing but her bra.

Allie could feel the blush clear down to her toes. His clear eyes roamed over her body and she grew apprehensive at his silence. "You must be used to the anorexic types," she joked, trying to lighten his serious mood.

"Shut up," he muttered, kissing her neck and moving down to her collarbone. Her breath caught in her chest and she gripped the sheets beneath her, trying hard not to grab his head and force it up to her mouth. She bit her lip as he slid the straps of her bra down her arms and she could feel the roughness of his fingers against her skin. She shivered, loving the feeling. "You baseball players and your calluses," she whispered, catching her breath when he looked up at her and cocked an eyebrow. "It's from grippin' the bat," he informed her, pulling Allie up so she was sitting in his lap. "We concentrate so hard," he reached behind her and unlatched the clasp of her bra with ease, "that the bat leaves blisters on our hands," the piece of clothing fell free from her body and he momentarily forgot to speak. Her hands on his face brought his eyes to hers and she smiled. "And makes our hands rough," he finished breathlessly, kissing her gently as his hands found her breasts and cupped them, squeezing lightly. Allie gasped in his mouth and her nails dug into his bare shoulders, leaving crescent-shaped abrasions that would surely bruise. Danny returned the favor by squeezing harder, and Allie could feel his arousal against her thigh. "Danny…I need…"

He mumbled something incoherent into her shoulder and began fumbling with the snap on his jeans, desperate to relieve the pressure. She moved her hands to her own shorts, lying back so she could easily slip them off her knees and throw them onto the floor. She proceeded to smile as she watched Danny struggle with the snap and zipper of his jeans, combined with the sight of her nearly naked on his bed. Finally, the obstruction gave way and he shucked the offending clothing item onto the floor. Agonizing in the sight of her, he kneeled on the bed and wrapped his fingers in her panties, pulling them down slowly. Allie simply forgot to breathe when the underwear came off and she bit her lip, trying her hardest not to cover her body. "For God's sake, Danny, say something."

He looked up at her, eyes wide and innocent. _That is the last thing I ever thought I would call Danny Messer: innocent._ "What do you want me to say?" He crawled up her body slowly, trailing a finger over her thigh, gently brushing her curls, up her stomach, between her breasts, to come to a stop in the hollow of her throat. "You're amazin'. I don't really have words for that."

She rolled her eyes, licking her lips. "Not what I had in mind, Casanova, but it'll do."

"I try." Danny grinned down at her and raised an eyebrow suggestively. "You know, I'm waitin'."

Allie was confused for all of three seconds before she realized what he meant. She stretched with her arms over her head, biting the inside of her cheek like she couldn't be bothered to give him the time of day. "You're a big boy, Messer. Undress yourself."

He chuckled and leaned down by her ear. "Yes, but wouldn't you like to see just **how** big?" He pulled back to see her eyes wide with disbelief and felt a rush of pride and satisfaction when Allie took his boxers off in record time. He hadn't really known what she had meant with the whole "anorexic" thing, but he knew that her body wasn't disappointing in the slightest; he was also confident that his own person wasn't all that bad either. _It's the baseball that makes her stare like that. That, and workin' for my uncle all summer._ "Like what you see?" He grinned cockily as her eyes reluctantly left everything south of his shoulders and traveled across his face to meet delicious cobalt pools that had darkened over the passing minutes.

"Shut up," she muttered, suddenly self-conscious. She took a deep breath. "Danny…"

He silenced her with a strong kiss, wrapping his fingers in her auburn locks. "Just tell me if you don't want to do this," he whispered, sincerity and honesty in every syllable. Allie's hands reached up to trace his face gently. "I want to do this. With you," she whispered back, feeling her face burn with embarrassment and exhilaration. _God, if I ever live through this, please, let me think of better, less corny, statements._

Danny nodded and gently pushed her back so she was looking up at him. Allie bit her lip and he felt his insides twist with desire. He positioned himself above her on strong arms, watching her eyes for signs of reluctance. "Al? You ready?" He licked his lips in anticipation. All he need now was a yes.

Her hands running up and down his biceps, Allie didn't have to think twice. "God, Danny. Would you quit askin' already?" she murmured, holding her breath, waiting. He didn't need any more coaxing and slid into her slowly, understanding the moment of pain that would accompany that first time. Allie wouldn't shut her eyes against the agony. Instead, she allowed herself to become lost in the cerulean pools above her, biting back a cry as tears sprang to her eyes. Danny noticed the tears and leaned down to kiss her eyelids slowly. "It'll be over soon," she reassured him, digging her nails into his back as that time came and an immense wave of pleasure overpowered the pain.

For his part, Danny reveled in the feel of her wrapped around him. Though he was not a stranger to women, he was new to this feeling as much as she was, and the sensation alone took his breath away; to know it was Allie beneath him simply increased the intensity of the moment. He kissed her lips softly, deepening the kiss when he felt her hands tugging his hair, pulling him closer. "God, Al," he moaned into her mouth, arms trembling from holding back. It physically hurt him to not give her immediate happiness, and Allie could feel the ache in the way his whole body tensed until he was sure she was ready. "Don't hold out on me," she smirked into his ear and he groaned, beginning to move.

Their heartbeats quickened simultaneously, and she grasped his shoulders, desperate to keep as much contact as possible. He kissed a line from her lips, down her chin and neck, across her collarbone, before finally taking a nipple in his mouth, gently biting. Allie twisted below him, letting out a whimper of pleasure. Danny growled back, moving to the other breast and her eyes closed while her back arched, her hips meeting his. Her ankles reached around him to lock in the small of his back, deepening the contact between them. Danny buried himself in her to his hilt before pulling out slowly and pushing in again in a tantalizingly unhurried manner

Allie could feel her climax building in her belly and she knew she wasn't going to last much longer. But something inside told her that there was something she could do to make Danny get the most out of this as possible. Summoning what little power she had left, she pushed against his chest just enough to get him to lose his balance and roll over so she was on top. Panting, she straddled his hips, watching him. Danny's eyes were half-closed with lust and love combined and she twined her fingers with his, holding his hands to the bed. "Let's see how you work on your back, hmm?" Her suggestion was met with a smirk and he drove up into her, making her head fall back with a momentary loss of breath.

"I told you, Al, I aim to please. No matter the position." Truth be told, Danny was losing himself in the sight of her. He had always inadvertently known that Allie was going to be his first. His hands snaked up around her hips, across her ribs, to gently cup her breasts, fingers toying with her nipples. "Let me know if I'm not hittin' my mark," he growled, grinning when Allie shivered from the low sound of his voice. "Jesus…Danny…that's…not…fair," her breath came in short gasps and he grunted his consent.

She found herself on her back and him thrusting strongly into her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she discovered that he hadn't pulled his fingers from hers. He dropped his head to her neck, breathing in the smell of her usual scent of vanilla combined with love-induced sweat. "Better?" he asked, unable to say much more. She dragged her nails across his back and down his arms in reply. He shivered and bit her skin softly, feeling her tense around him. "Come for me," he whispered into her ear and Allie obliged, feeling the heat seep out of her soul and surround the pair of them. "God, Danny…" she whimpered, her nails digging into his shoulders. He thrust a few more times, prolonging her happiness before he felt himself start to give way. "Allie…I think…I'm…gonna…" He let out a low groan before letting go himself and his arms shook with the strength of his climax. She pulled his lips to hers to kiss him gently and he kissed back, reaching behind them to pull up the blanket that lay discarded on the end of the bed. He collapsed next to her, face down, struggling to catch his breath.

Danny slowly raised his head to watch her just as Allie tilted hers to the left to look at him. Blue eyes locked with honeyed hazel and they both smiled. He reached over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. Allie was too tired, too satisfied, and too happy to mind and she nuzzled into his chest, stroking his hair softly. She understood that at that moment, the pair of them had broken major boundaries; vulnerability wasn't something they had been taught how to show easily, and she had never felt more fragile, or seen him so exposed. _Literally and metaphorically_. She chuckled to herself at her own cleverness.

"Allie." His voice came softly and she realized she had been drifting off.

"Hmm?"

Danny bit his lip, considering. If he told her what he was thinking, this could be it. Or it could be the beginning of something amazing. _I've never felt like this before._ He took a deep breath and plunged into the emotion that was raging through his body, which threatened to take over his every thought and seep into every pore of his body.

"I love you."

Her eyes flew open and all notions of sleep disappeared. Danny was looking at the ceiling, and she had to touch his cheek to get him to move his eyes to her. In those eyes, clear pools of crystalline blue that had gotten brighter, if that was even possible, Allie could see his uncertainty at his confession, but confidence in his feelings. Danny didn't say something unless he truly felt it, and though he would never admit it, she knew he felt a lot. But this was a different confession than any she had ever heard fall from his lips, and if the warmth in her stomach meant anything, she could be guilty of the same.

"_Tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat_," she whispered, stroking his cheek and chin softly. His eyes sparkled and he shook his head. "You're gonna have to say that again, in _English_. I don't speak Gaelic."

Allie giggled and pulled him to her, resting her mouth just below his ear. "Now you know how I feel, Italian." She could feel him shake with laughter below her and she kissed his earlobe gently. "I said, I love you too."

Danny stiffened and held his breath until he could see her eyes again. She smiled shyly and he couldn't contain his grin. Twining his legs with hers, he held her in his arms, beaming as she fell asleep. Danny held her, not being able to drift off for many minutes, content with watching her.

It struck him, while making the journey to dreamland, that for the first time in a long time, he was completely, totally, inexplicably happy.

_You got a fast car_

_But is it fast enough so you can fly away_

_You gotta make a decision_

_You leave tonight or live and die this way_

---

Reviews? Please?

Lyrics: **Fast Car** by Tracy Chapman


	13. The Morning After

Allie awoke in a flurry of things happening all at once. First, the sun was shining in her eyes. Second, someone's arms were wrapped around her waist and she couldn't move to discover the owner of the hands on her belly. Third, the neighborhood was waking up on a new day and Maria Messer was chewing out her eldest son over a cup of coffee. Allie identified Maria's voice first, followed by Giovanni Messer's deep baritone, and then, in one heart stopping moment, Louie's indignant protests, his Staten Island drawl contrasting with his parents' Italian accents. A sigh ruffled her hair and she smiled as the boy behind her listened in on the conversation below them.

"G'morning sunshine," she quipped, trying to lighten Danny's already sour mood. It was scary, how much they had deepened their bond in the night. She could tell by the way his arms tightened around his waist at his brother's voice and the way his chest muscles constricted that he was upset. A slight chuckle made her breathe an internal sigh of relief. "Mornin'," Danny mumbled, kissing her shoulder. "Didja sleep okay?" He rested his chin on her arm and Allie shifted in his arms so she could see his face more clearly. She nodded, biting her lip. "The sun woke me up." She grinned. "You really should think about investing in some curtains or somethin'."

Danny shrugged, an impressive feat since he had little to no access to arm movement. "Why? I'm leavin' in a few months anyway."

Allie rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, but it's not like you're not gonna come back. Right?" His eyes didn't meet hers and she pulled away to look into his face better. "Right, Danny?"

He bit the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "Well, I'm not really plannin' on it, Al. I mean, sure, to visit, yeah. But I ain't never gonna live here again. In fact," he rolled away from her to lie on his back. "I don't wanna come back until I can get completely independent. Not have to rely on my old man for nothin', you know?"

Allie rolled over until her chest was resting on his and she was looking into his face. "What about me?"

"I'm takin' you with me, of course." Danny smirked and pulled her fully on top of him. "We'll get away from all this shit and be incredibly famous. I'll play baseball and I guess you can be a dancer, if you're good enough."

Allie let out an indignant gasp, staring at Danny in disbelief. "If **I'm** good enough? Good luck gettin' into the majors with that arm, bud."

He sat up, his face suddenly serious. "What's the matter with my pitching?"

"Nothing." Her reply came entirely too fast for Danny's liking and he growled playfully, pulling her into a bear hug. "God dammit Allie, what's wrong with my arm?"

"Nothing, I promise! I just said it to get a rise out of you!" Her face being pressed into his collarbone muffled her voice. Danny smiled and pressed his nose into her hair. "I think I knew that."

Gasping for breath, Allie mustered all of her strength and pulled away from him. "You're an idiot." She blew her hair out of her eyes. "What time is it?"

Groaning, Danny turned to look at the alarm clock that sat on a chair within his view. "Uh, seven."

"Shit!" Allie vaulted out of the bed, her eyes wide. "My ma's gonna kill me, I told her I'd help with the store today! I am so late!" She scrambled into her shorts and shirt, grabbing her underwear in one hand. Danny watched her with a bemused expression on his face, one eyebrow cocked in amusement. "You goin' home like that?"

Allie shot him a dirty look as she struggled to open the window. "I got no time. I'm gonna take a shower when I get home anyways." She blew another strand of hair out of her eyes and glared at him. "Danny! Quit lying there like an ass and help me!"

"Right…" Danny rolled out of bed, quickly pulled on a pair of boxers and crossed to where Allie was struggling with the stuck window. He gently moved her and took over, widening the gap that Allie had managed to start. She bit her lip in silent appreciation of his strength and smiled as he stepped back, hardly even breathing hard. "There y'are."

"Well, aren't you handy?" She made to climb out the window, stopping at his hand on her arm. Her eyes rose to meet his and she was taken aback when his lips met hers. "I'll call you," he whispered when they broke apart and she licked her lips before smiling. "I'll hold you to that. Only, not tonight: I may be busy."

"With what?" Danny cursed himself for not trying to get back on her good side sooner. His plans were being screwed around with her other plans, and he didn't like it.

"Nothin' important, just some stuff I gotta do." She grinned at him again and then she was gone. Danny could hear her climbing down the fire escape. He could also hear his mother's angry footsteps on the stairs and Danny shut the window quickly. He vaulted over the mess on his floor and pulled a shirt off a chair, smelling it to make sure it could pass for clean. It passed the test and he pulled it haphazardly over his head, snatching his glasses from where Allie had lay them the night before. He opened the door before his mother could knock and smiled. "Mornin', Ma."

Maria's eyes were red with crying and anger as she glared at her youngest son. "Did you know your brother was headed to Atlantic City last night?"

Danny felt the anger of being rejected boiling in the pit of his stomach, threatening to cause a huge eruption of emotion. Of course he knew: he was supposed to be with Louie, but apparently that wasn't what Louie had had in mind at all. "Sure, I knew." Danny opted for the easy answer. The worst thing for him to do would be for him to start something now, when his mother was clearly very angry. _You and me both, Ma._

She surveyed him with narrowed eyes for a moment, suspicious. He must have passed her inspection, for Maria nodded and sniffed. "Out 'til all hours of the night, can't even bother to call…" she mumbled, and Danny shifted uncomfortably, not sure if he should be hearing his mother's angry rants or not. Finally, Maria turned and left, muttering and shaking her head as she went. Danny shut his door quietly, releasing a deep breath. He leaned against the door, resting his head against the solid wood. Across the alleyway, he could see into Allie's room, but she must have already been in the shower, for he saw no sign of her. Sighing, Danny began to pick up the clothes on his bedroom floor. If he wasn't gonna talk to her again for a while, he was damn well gonna make sure he didn't live in a dump.

---

Danny was lying on his bed, throwing a baseball up at the ceiling and catching it with both hands, alternating hands every so often, when the phone rang. His father was out looking at a new construction site and his mother was off visiting some aunt or another. It took Danny a moment before he remembered that he was the only one in the house. Chucking the baseball at a hole in his wall, he scrabbled off his bed and clumped down the stairs to pick up the receiver before it stopped ringing.

"Hello?"

"Dan? S'at you?"

_Louie_. Danny hoisted himself up on the countertop, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder. His fists clenched in anger. It had been three days since Giants' Stadium, and he wasn't in any hurry to talk to his brother. What reason could Louie have for calling him now?

"Yeah. What d'you need? Ma's not here and the old man's out with _Zio_ Tony, looking at a new place."

"No, no, I don't need them. I wanna talk to you." An awkward pause and then, "How ya doin'?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fine, I guess. Why?"

"What, your brotha can't ask how you about your life?"

"Sure, my brotha can. I didn't think we was related anymore."

There was silence on the other end and Danny knew he had taken it a little to far. However, the smug bastard rooting for his boldness currently replaced his voice of reason, and Danny was more than ready to take on his brother.

"Listen, asshole, we dropped that kid off in a bad neighborhood. He was alive when I saw him last." Louie's voice was tight with anger. "That's all you need to know."

"Right. Sure. Whatever."

"I'm serious! Look," Louie paused, taking a deep breath, "I didn't call to argue with youse. I called to apologize about Tony and Vinnie. What they did was…"

"Stupid? Yeah, we figured that out?"

"Would you just shut up? Dammit, you don't stop for a minute, do you?" A sigh. "Listen, the thing with Allie, that wasn't planned. Those two idiots don't have enough sense to find a rat in a trashcan. But there's talk of somethin' goin' on tonight, down in Pelham. I just thought I should tell you, since she's your girlfriend and all that."

Danny slid off the counter, suddenly intent on what his brother was saying. "What? What the hell are you talkin' about?"

There was a voice in the background and Louie mumbled, "Yeah, okay, shut up. I gotta go., Dan. Don't let Allie go to Pelham tonight, 'kay?"

"Wait, Louie…" The dial tone in his ear stopped Danny short. He placed the phone back on its cradle, staring at it for a moment. The full force of Louie's words hit him and he looked up in panic.

"SHIT!"

---

Cliffhanger! Mwahahahahaha! I just wanted to leave you all with something before I left on our family vacation…


	14. The Shot Heard Round the World

"Allison, you open this door now, you hear me?" Aileen O'Brien rapped anxiously on her daughter's bedroom door, glancing frantically at Danny behind her. "I'm sorry, Danny, it seems she's out again. The door's jammed from the inside." Whether she meant asleep or on the street, Danny couldn't tell. Allie's hazel eyes stared out from Aileen's anxious face and Danny could see that they were clouded with worry. "I don't dare break in there. Ever since Michael…" she trailed off, biting her lip to hold back tears. She was the only person in the world who called Mikey O'Brien by his full name. Danny gently placed a hand on the arm of the woman he considered to be his surrogate mother. "S'okay, Aileen. Maybe she's at my place and we missed each other. You know my ma," he said jokingly, attempting to get a smile out of Aileen, "She could talk the ear offa anybody."

He succeeded. Aileen grinned briefly and the action lit up her whole face. "Ah, you're probably right, boyo. If you do see her, could you have her home by midnight? Lieutenant Flack tells me there's some trouble going on down by the docks, and I don't want her there." Her persistent eyes wouldn't leave Danny's face until he nodded, albeit weakly. She cleared her throat and pushed him towards the stairs. He managed to keep his cool all the way down the flight to the first floor, into the foyer and out into the night. He even managed a reassuring smile for Aileen as he shut the door.

The minute the door clicked behind him, however, Danny felt like he was going to be sick. Forgetting his car, he leaped off the front stoop and began running for Pelham Bay.

Poor Aileen, believing her daughter had been safe with his ma, out of the way of trouble. Danny knew how little hope Mrs. O'Brien had when it came to Allie. The girl was so like her brother, hot-headed and stubborn, that it was impossible for her to stay out of trouble. Mikey had joined the Tanglewood Boys because he was a fighter until the bitter end. The same trait in Allie could very well get her killed. Danny knew Louie: his brother's message was too blunt to mean anything else. It was a race, Danny thought, him against that son of a bitch called time. Danny prayed to whoever listening that he wasn't the loser.

---

Allie hid behind the stack of crates, watching as Sonny and the rest of his gang arrived on the docks of Pelham. There was Sal Zabo, a wolf in sheep's clothing, coward that he was, and Tony and Vinnie, skulking along. Her heart raced as she caught sight of Louie's dark head. Though her head was pounding and her legs were nearly numb, Allie waited. She couldn't afford to make a mistake now. More footsteps rang out in the night and she ducked lower, hoping not to be caught.

"What's this all about, Sassone?" A foreign voice rang out, challenging.

"You killed one of ours," Sonny's voice said. "Like our grandfathers before us, it's a matter of blood payment."

"Ah, shut yer trap, you Mafia wannabe. There ain't no need for a fight. I heard the O'Brien boy's death was an accident."

"There are no accidents. One of your boys killed him, and we want him outta the picture. For the family, of course."

"What family? His mother and sister? What do they care? I heard the girl's gettin' on fine with Messer's brother."

"Not for long, she won't." Louie's voice rang out, gravelly from so much cigarette smoke, and Allie tightened her fists. Just a few more seconds, and the bastard who killed her brother was gonna pay.

A harsh laugh cut through the air. "You don't like the kid? Aw, what'd she ever do to you, Messer?"

There was a moment of silence and Allie was tempted to look up, to see what caused the pause, when a sheer amount of brute force swept her off her feet and off the ground. She struggled mightily, but to no avail, and she soon found herself at the expensively clad feet of Sonny Sassone.

"What the hell is this?" The Pelham kid's voice was amused and Allie jumped to her feet, ready to take on any who dared touch her. But no threat came, and she felt the heat rise to her face.

She raised her eyes to Sonny's and felt ice sweep through her veins. His eyes were dark and emotionless, just as they always were, with just a hint of malicious humor. He thought it was funny that she was here. Allie felt the cold barrel of her brother's gun press against her spine and immediately knew that she wasn't prepared to use it. She had come here for nothing and it would kill her if she wasn't careful.

A movement to Sonny's right made her jump, but it was only Louie. His blue eyes, darker than Danny's but bearing the same contradicting hard warmth begged her to stay silent, to not move more than necessary.

"I said, what the hell?" The stranger was getting impatient and Allie didn't dare turn around. To do so would be suicide.

Sonny shrugged, his eyes still locked on Allie's face. "I didn't know she was here. Messer?" Louie stepped forward hesitantly, within arm's distance of Allie. She tensed, knowing he could save her if he wanted to.

"I dunno, Sonny. It seems like she just got lost and ended up here," Louie said quietly and he reached for Allie's arm. "You want me to take her home?" He pulled her to his side, almost behind him. "What the hell are you doin' here?" he muttered out of the side of his mouth.

"I came to do what I had to. For Mikey." Allie winced as his grip tightened around her wrist.

Sonny turned and looked at Louie for the first time and Allie felt absolute terror. Sonny's face was twisted into a cruel look of curiosity and hate. "No, let her stay. She wanted to see the kid who killed her brother shot. Well, that's what she's gonna get."

Try as she might, Allie couldn't twist out of Louie's grip. She had to run. Louie's eyes darted between Sonny and Allie. He had told Danny to keep her away, to keep Allie safe. Why couldn't the whelp listen to him for just two seconds? Still pissed about the other night, no doubt. Louie sighed inaudibly. Someday, Danny would learn that everything Louie did, it was for the good of the family. Well, most of everything.

The Pelham boy spoke up again. "We don't know who killed Mikey. It was unfortunate. All I know is, you were in our territory the night he died, and that's all we have to do with the matter."

"Liars." Sonny's accusation made everyone freeze. "You killed Mikey and you know it. His blood is on your hands. Your territory, your rules, your kill. Simple as that." In the blink of an eye, Sonny moved and the gun he kept hidden in the waist of his jeans came out to meet the crowd. Allie bit back a scream, but that didn't stop Louie from stepping in front of her, shielding her with his body.

The Pelham boy was just as fast. Soon, there were several gun muzzles, all pointing in different directions. Allie eyeballed every single one of them. Louie hadn't pulled his weapon in the effort of keeping Allie guarded, but she could easily slip him her gun if possible. She just had to get him to let go of her wrist...

Footsteps echoed on the wooden dock and Allie turned her head to see Danny racing towards the group. She felt Louie's grip slacken, so she did the only thing natural: she broke free and ran.

Several things happened at once:

The Pelham kid, thinking that Danny was back-up, let off a shot.

Sonny, who had turned to see who the new addition was, let off a slug in surprise at the first shot, without remembering to turn around.

Allie pitched forward, a sharp, fiery pain spinning into her back and throughout her entire body.

Danny and Louie let out similar sounds of distress as they saw Allie fall forward, her hands pointlessly going out to break her fall.

Complete silence, broken only by the Messer brother's running feet, took over the docks. The Pelham Bay crew stood still, watching the scene before them until their leader motioned for them to leave. No one would ever know whether it was Sonny or his bullet that had struck the girl.

Sonny weighed his options and opted for a quick retreat. He jerked his head and he and the rest of the Tanglewood Boys disappeared into the shadows. One O'Brien less in this world wouldn't matter much. That's just the way the world went.

Danny reached Allie first, turning her over and placing her head in his lap. He felt something wet on his face and knew he was crying before the first heart-wrenching sob broke from his lips. "Allie… Allie, no…"

Louie knelt cautiously next to her body, unsure of how to handle the situation. It was Mikey all over again, only this time it didn't affect him nearly as hard as it did Danny. His dark blue eyes studied his kid brother's face, taking in the grief and the tears. They moved to Allie's shivering body, knowing the signs. She didn't have long at all. "Allie?" Louie tentatively placed his hand on her shoulder, feeling her start to go cold. "Allie, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry about Mikey. None of this ever should have happened."

Whether she heard him or not, Louie couldn't tell. All he knew was that he had said what he needed to say. He raised his head and caught Danny's pained glare straight in the face. "She's not gonna make it, Danny."

"Like hell she won't," the younger brother spat, his eyes burning anger into Louie's face. Louie sighed. There was nothing more he could do for the couple, except leave them alone. She would be gone in a few minutes anyway. "I'm going home. Try not to be out too late." With that, he stood and walked into the shadows. It was harsh, what Danny had to go through, but he had to learn that losing loved ones was a part of life. Louie's bluntness was only to make Danny stronger: if his own brother couldn't see that, it was his own fault.

Danny watched his brother go through blurry eyes. He felt Allie stir in his arms and he looked down to see her staring up at him. She attempted a smile, but even that normally cheery action was dimmed by the freezing chill sweeping over her bones. "I l-love y-you," he choked out, suddenly aware of the police sirens in the distance. "S-so much."

She licked her lips futilely, closing her eyes as the pain began to fade. "I love you too, Danny." Her eyes opened once more, but it looked as though the act caused her a lot of effort. "Take care of my ma, please?"

He nodded, unable to say any more. Softly, he pushed her hair back from her eyes, leaning to kiss eyelids that covered those beautiful hazel irises that had he had been so willing to give so much to. As she went limp in his arms, Danny felt as though the world had died too, and he wept.

For the first time in his life, Danny Messer felt completely alone.

---

**A/N:** One more, folks, and then it's on to bigger, but never better, things!


	15. The Final Goodbye

As Lindsay covered her mouth in horror, she realized that her cheeks were wet. Tears she didn't even know she had been crying stained her skin. As she attempted to wipe them clean, she mourned the loss of Allie, though she had never known the girl herself. To have such a short time in this world, with little to show for it, was a tragedy. Allie should have been here, in Danny's kitchen, listening to him tell a story about the crazy people he worked with. She should have been the one to confront him on the other women in his life. She should have taunted him, flirted with him, cuddled with him.

Instead, the poor kid was lying somewhere, pushing up daisies, and Lindsay was lying here listening to the tale of her demise from the one man who had loved her the most. Lindsay felt like she was encroaching upon someone else's territory. _It's not fair,_ she muttered to herself.

Danny grunted, and Lindsay realized she had stated her thought out loud. "Of course it's not fair. Nothin' in Allie's life was ever fair. She was the best dancer in the entire school, but not enough money to make it to competitions. She was an amazing student, but her ma needed her to help out instead of go to college. She loved Mikey with all her heart, but he was taken away from her when he was finally gettin' his act together. From the moment she was born, Allie's life wasn't fair." This last sentence was said more for his benefit than Lindsay's. Danny's back was propped against the countertop, his arms folded protectively in front of him. Lindsay stood across from him, watching his bare chest rise and fall rhythmically. She could almost hear his heart beat, if she really tried. Her eyes traveled up his abdomen to his face. Danny's eyes were focused on the ceiling in a thoughtful expression. The calm on his face was almost unsettling and for a moment Lindsay thought he had gone slightly insane from the strain of his memories, but once again, Danny Messer surprised her.

"Aileen wouldn't look at me at the funeral," he said in a choking voice. "My ma made me and Louie pay our respects, of course, but Aileen wouldn't have anythin' to do with us. She just sat there, staring at her daughter's coffin. Moved out a week later. No one's heard from her in thirteen years."

Lindsay shook her head, brown curls swirling around her face. "That's ridiculous, Danny. She couldn't possibly blame you for what happened. Did you tell--"

"But I was the one who was voted most likely to know where Allie was, no matter what. She told me everything, so Aileen assumed that she had told me about Pelham too." Danny sniffed once and looked down at his hands. Lindsay was almost taken aback at how much he looked like a little boy, lost and miserable.

"It's not your fault, Danny. You did nothing wrong."

Clear cerulean eyes met honeyed brown and Lindsay's breath was taken away. Later, when telling Stella about the moment, she swore that she saw Danny's soul at that very moment, and there was no trace of the reckless teenaged kid he had once been. "Really, Linds? If I had convinced her to stay with me longer, to meet me after she got off work, to come back to my place that night, she might not have gone." He looked away, pained. "If I had made a bigger effort to stop her, she might have told me what she was doing. I could have gone with her and helped her to understand why she couldn't kill Sonny."

"No one could have helped her see that." Lindsay took a deep breath and bravely crossed the room to be closer to Danny. Carefully, she tucked her fingers under his chin, bringing those beautiful eyes back to hers. "Allie had to find her own way- and if that meant she had to put her life on the line the same way Mikey did, that's what she had to do." Lindsay bit her lip at the confusion and ache in his eyes. "When the trial rolled around, I wanted to strangle the man who killed my friends with my bare hands. But Rory talked me out of it, and I was calmer after that. Allie doesn't sound like she was ever that mellow."

Danny cracked a small smile. "No, never. Even suggesting defeat pissed her off." He sighed and his eyes filled with tears, spilling over his long eyelashes to travel down his cheeks in an agony-filled cascade. "I miss her so much, Linds."

Without thinking, and without exact reason, Lindsay pulled Danny into her arms, cradling his head against her neck. There was only one other time she had ever seen him like this, and then Mac had been the one to comfort him, to tell him Louie would be okay. Then, Lindsay hadn't known what to do. This time, she was more than prepared.

---

Lindsay was shocked the next morning when Stella walked into her office wearing a million-dollar smile and gorgeous diamond earrings. "Hey! What's up?" she asked, hoping to kill two birds with one stone.

Stella happily slapped down a case file on the desktop. "We caught the guy. He wasn't hard to find; fingerprints everywhere. And I feel like looking nice today. Is that such a crime?"

Lindsay flipped through the manila folder, amazed. "Criminals keep getting more and more stupid. And in this department," she eyed Stella's jewelry apprehensively, "maybe."

The two giggled for a moment before Stella's phone buzzed, signaling her to the next big crime scene. She put the phone to her ear and waved goodbye to her friend, nodding a greeting to Danny, who held open the door for her departure. He watched Stella walk down the hall before turning to Lindsay with a skeptical eye. "Is it just me, or are her earrings--?"

"Don't ask," Lindsay said, holding up her hand. "I don't worry about her. You, on the other hand…" she smiled as Danny slowly sank into his desk chair. "How did it go?"

He shrugged. "Oh, ya know. Easier than I thought for some, harder for others. Getting rid of that box was tough. But," he reached for her hand over the desk, "I'm glad I did it. And I kept one picture of her on my dresser, for memory's sake."

Lindsay nodded happily, giving his hand a slight squeeze. "As long as you're not obsessing."

Danny smiled and moved to look at his computer. "Ah, shit, I've got work to do."

A small giggle escapes her lips before Lindsay bends over her own amount of paperwork. For moment she's working fine, but then she starts thinking and it's like someone lit off a bomb inside her brain. "I'll be right back," she fires out and Danny can only watch in mystification as she grabs her purse and makes a beeline for the door.

---

Lindsay gently placed the bouquet of lilies on the cold marble headstone. There's an identical one right next to it, but she has only eyes for the one before her. She studies the words written there, feeling the connection between her and this person she's never met. Lindsay sighs and looks up at the sky, not really knowing what to say, but also knowing what must be said.

"You didn't have to bring us together. It would have been easier to live with him for the rest of your life. But you made some decisions, and this is where it's gotten you. I have him now, and that's really the way I'd like it to stay. Thank you for what you did for him, but now it's my time to do what I **can** do for him."

Lindsay walked away slowly, pondering what to say when she got back to the lab.

Allie's gravestone watched her go, silent as stone.

Because time will pass. Things will change. And people will die. But love… well… that'll haunt ya.

THE END


End file.
